Plan B needs a Plan C in Colorado

April 14, 2006

Colorado’s legislature, for the second time in as many years, approved legislation that would make it easier for women to obtain emergency contraception without a prescription. And, just like last year, Republican Gov. [tag]Bill Owens[/tag] vetoed it.

Gov. Bill Owens on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for women to get [tag]emergency contraception[/tag]. The rejection of House Bill 1212 is the second time in two years Owens has disappointed women’s health groups and elated abortion foes.

This year’s bill would have given pharmacists an unprecedented power in Colorado – the ability to dispense medication without a physician’s prescription.

In his veto message, Owens said the bill “strays radically from the accepted norms of medicine” by shifting prescribing power to pharmacists.

First, Owens also believes that pharmacists should be able to refuse prescriptions for medication they find morally offensive. If he’s really concerned about “the accepted norms of medicine,” he may want to give this policy a second look.

Second, this has nothing to do with “shifting prescribing power to pharmacists.” The pharmacists wouldn’t be “prescribing” anything; the legislation, which passed with bi-partisan support, would simply make [tag]Plan B[/tag] medication available over the counter. The only people empowered by the vetoed bill are women who want to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. It’s part of why the state legislation was endorsed by the [tag]Colorado[/tag] Medical Society, the Colorado Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, and the Colorado Pharmacists Society, in addition to women’s groups everywhere.

Ultimately, none of the arguments against Plan B make any sense. Conservatives argue the medication may not be safe, but the FDA called it the “safest drug that we have seen brought before us.” Conservatives suggest the emergency contraception causes abortion, but it actually prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg or blocks a fertilized egg from implanting in a uterus.

Plan B would curtail the number of abortions and prevent unwanted pregnancies. If right-wing politicians like Owens have a reasonable explanation for their opposition, they’ve hidden it well.

Acccording to PZ Myers, Plan B does not prevent fertilized eggs from implanting. Plan B prevents ovulation – and that’s it. No eggs, thus no fertilized eggs.

So there is absolutely nothing remotely like an abortion taking place when you use Plan B.

One should be careful not to confuse Plan B with RU 486…thekeez

  • Owens is following Plan G. He’s up for re-election in 06 and he’s a Republican so it’s time to turn to God to whip up a faith based turnout in November.

  • Acccording to PZ Myers, Plan B does not prevent fertilized eggs from implanting.

    That’s true, too. According to an item I saw from Planned Parenthood/Rocky Mountain States, Plan B can serve three functions:

    1. Prevent ovulation;

    2. Stop fertilization;

    and 3. Block implantation in the uteral wall.

  • It has long been evident that “empirical consequences” has no mreaning to Republicans. Anti-woman automatically gets the GOP’s imprimatur.

  • If right-wing politicians like Owens have a reasonable explanation for their opposition, they’ve hidden it well.

    The explanation is clearly that they don’t want sexually active women to be empowered to do anything other than have babies–either with a stigma or with a ,preferably promise-keeper, husband. Whether this is “reasonable” or not to a voter seems to be the key to which party they support.

  • “Owens has disappointed women’s health groups and elated abortion foes.”

    Jeebus Effing Crosses, when will it stop? The fricking Plan B pharmaceutical is a contraceptive, so why the hell are the opponents to it called “abortion foes”? They are contraception foes, reproductive freedom foes, etc., but this issue has NOT ONE FRICKING THING TO DO WITH ABORTION.

    Only the ignorant or intentionally uniformed think it does.

    Unfortunately this and other reporters are ignorant or intentionally uniformed.

  • First Plan B. Tomorrow, the Pill in all its forms. Plan B is just the beginning.

    As Edo said above, it’s an empowerment issue. Heaven forbid sexually active women control their own reproduction.

  • Yep, despite all the chatter about “accepted norms of medicine” or abortion, it’s all about keeping America’s womenfolk in their place. Can’t let these floozies run around having wild, hedonistic, unbridled sexual intercourse any time they damn well please. Might lead to dancing.

  • Might lead to dancing.

    And who knows what that might lead to?! Singing? (shudder) Laughter (shudder…tremble…shudder…) The theofascists just can’t risk that now can they?

  • really, its all about roles and competition. women are better at cooking, sewing, nursing, tidying up the house, and crying. they really should just leave the manly roles to the men: being educated, working, and “run[ning] around having wild, hedonistic, unbridled sexual intercourse any time they damn well please.” that’s how God, obviously masculine – i mean, he is a father and son after all – intended it.

  • I believe Plan B should be available over the counter, and the right-wing’s resistance to it would be laughable if it weren’t so infuriating.

    Having said that, though, wouldn’t the Colorado measure, if approved, be trumped and rendered moot by the Bush FDA’s refusal to certify Plan B for OTC use? If not, why don’t other, more liberal states (like mine) enact similar legislation?

  • Kali, Owens is not running for Governor again.
    He can’t or his infidelities will become a matter of public record.

  • Note that the state of Colorado is home to FOF’s James Dobson, and many other evangelical organizations and church headquarters, and the
    governor’s voting it down is not quite the shocker it appears to be.

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