Senate Passes Plan B By Voice Vote
by Christine Stuart | April 11, 2007 5:47 PM
Posted to State Capitol
Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans may have struck a back door deal in order to get Plan B for rape victims passed Wednesday.
Instead of calling for a roll call vote, which would have required each senator’s mind to be tested on the bill, the Democratic Majority gave their colleagues a pass. When the voice vote was called the “Ayes” were audible, but the “Nays” remained silent.
But that’s not to say the legislation didn’t have bipartisan support. Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, called the bill “abundantly fair” and applauded proponents of the legislation who have gone a long way to find a compromise with the Catholic Community. Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca, R-Woodbury, seemed far less sympathetic to proponents.
DeLuca said he listened to the hearings on the bill over the last two years and he heard a lot of reasons in favor of the legislation, but “we haven’t heard of anyone being harmed.” He said we just hear about “how it has to be done to protect people.” Then he digressed into a rant on how he thought the numbers an advocate of the legislation gave him about the number of rape victims was wrong based on his knowledge of how many rape victims were treated at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury.
Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, who spoke after DeLuca said every woman whose the victim of rape deserves the best standard of care.
The bill was referred to the Public Health Committee where it will be discussed further.
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