Brewer Signs Legislation Permitting Employers to Interrogate Female Employees About Contraception

[ProfessionalLeftist]

Whelp, guess what campers?  Jan Brewer just signed this monstrosity into law yesterday.  In fact, the version which she signed is actually worse than the originally-introduced version.  The amended version attempts to address the concerns that the bill violates a woman’s privacy by off-handedly stating that the bill does not authorize the “religiously-affiliated employer” to obtain an employee’s protected health information or to violate HIPAA.

Pffft.

Setting aside the fact that this bill contravenes President Obama’s birth control mandate, and that all women should have access to birth control coverage, how else is a female employee supposed to attest that she seeks contraception coverage for purposes unrelated to birth control without providing her employer private medical information?  It’s not possible.  Simply tossing in boilerplate language to the legislation does nothing to undo the damage and the grave privacy concerns that this bill poses.  Moreover, while the bill makes its way through the Courts, untold number of women will be affected by this horrible legislation.  This legislation puts women in the position of choosing either employment or lack of preventive healthcare services.  It is nothing short of outrageous.

And finally there’s this: The bill’s sponsor, Debbie Lesko, is the ALEC Arizona Public Sector Chair, a role which requires “working to introduce model legislation.”  Funny, that.

But I’m sure I’m just one of the untold internet bullies harassing poor wittle ALEC, right?

Stop the planet.  I want to get off.

MORE . . .

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/12/jan-brewer-signs-legislation-permitting-employers-to-interrogate-female-employees-about-contraception-use

[freshwest]

1. ALEC mischief continues to be afoot. What of the boycotts?

[ProfessionalLeftist]

2. Have heard no more about boycotts. n/t

[AndyTiedye]

12. The Koch Brothers Still Have Plenty of Money to Fund ALEC

The boycotts won't really slow ALEC down as long as the Kochs keep the megabucks flowing.

[liberal N proud]

3. sounds like a clear civil rights violation.

[dflprincess]

9. It's clearly a HIPAA violation

and the first employer who asks about a private medical issue should be made an example. Hopefully, the lawyers are lining up for the civil suits and, as HIPAA is Federal, just maybe the DOJ will step in as well.

[Dawson Leery]

10. When you say "be made an example of"

that better mean nothing short of bankrupting that employer.

[dflprincess]

11. Exactly what I had in mind

not just in lawsuits filed by the women but hopefully in federal fines for violating HIPAA.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. There needs to be a bright line in the sand re: people making their own decisions about their bodies

And a whole host of rights issues tie into it: reproductive freedom, the drug war, the battle against censorship, and the right of terminally ill people to choose a pain free exit on their own terms.

We need clear, morally unambiguous leadership and it can be summed up in a couple sentences.

Sadly, too many on the "left" muddy the lines to suit their agenda or ideology, harming all of us.

[Fresh_Start]

5. her constituents should ask about her vaginal health at every opportunity

does she suffer from vaginal odor, dryness, itching,...
is she using contraceptives
have her pee in a cup so that you can assure she is/isn't using contraception

[hobbit709]

6. +1. She's an employee of the public, isn't she?

[zbdent]

7. actually, I would start encouraging anybody who is asked about contraception to

file a sexual harassment lawsuit ...

[Sheepshank]

8. So if asked in an interview..the correct answer would be....?

1. "Yes, I use birth control"....she is ineligable for the job on religious grounds

2. "No, I don't use Birth contro"....she is ineligable for the job because she will just be taking FMLA isn a few months.

3. "I prefer not to answer such a personal question"....she is ineligable for the job because she was insubordinate during the interview.

I don't see a winning outcome. Too bad women, you have just be set up for discrimintory hiring.