A bill that didn’t even get a public hearing last legislative session when Republicans controlled both statehouses cleared its last real legislative hurdle Wednesday, setting up an expected signing by Gov. Jim Doyle.
The Republican-controlled state Assembly decisively approved a bill requiring all hospitals –including religiously-based institutions–to offer emergency contraception to rape victims. The bill passed 61-35, with 16 Republicans joining the entire Democratic caucus except for one member, Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc, in support.
The bill won’t move quickly to the governor’s desk, however, because the Assembly failed to muster the needed two-thirds vote to counter a move by Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, to prevent automatic transmission of the bill to the Senate. Instead, the bill will need to wait until the full Assembly meets next, which won’t be until February.