MADISON, February 6, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Wisconsin Senate passed a conscience clause bill Wednesday which would protect health care professionals and facilities from penalties for refusing to be involved with abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia and unethical medical experiments involving the deliberate destruction of in vitro human embryos or the use of tissue from aborted babies.
Susan Armacost, Legislative Director for Wisconsin Right to Life, the lead organization promoting the legislation, said the legislation passed in spite of a campaign of misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric by the pro-abortion lobby. Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, were relentless in literally making up ridiculous and inflammatory arguments against AB 67, said Armacost. For example, they tried unsuccessfully to convince legislators that AB 67 is “an inhumane assault on pregnant women’s health and lives, and allows doctors to refuse medical care and information in the most tragic situations.” Assembly Bill 67 will go back to the Assembly for their concurrence on one change made by the State Senate. The bill will then go to the Governor Jim Doyle. Pharmacists for Life International was hoping for an additional clause which would have protected health care workers from having to violate their consciences by doling out contraceptives, especially abortifacients such as the birth control pill and morning after pill.