Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Signs Legislation Permitting Employers to Interrogate Female Employees About Contraception Use

I haven't heard of anybody trying to make it legal for men to be fired for using contraceptives or male performance enhancements.

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

Saturday, May 12, 2012 19:20 EDT

A month or so ago, I wrote about a bill in Arizona (HB 2625) that would permit employers to opt-out of the so-called birth control mandate and interrogate their female employees about their sexual practices, all in the name of “religious freedom”:

You see, if a female employee seeks a medical prescription for contraception, an employer will be permitted to ask that employee for proof that she doesn’t plan to use the contraception for slutty fuck-making. Using it for medical reasons is ok — that’s medicine.

So, if you’re one of those women who uses slutpills for non-slutty reasons, then you’re ok. You’ll get to keep your job. Enjoy your ovarian cancer or your acne or whatever, but make sure you put that red cover on your TPS reports or the boss’ll have your head.

.....

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-2 Monday to endorse a controversial bill that would allow Arizona employers the right to deny health insurance coverage for contraceptives based on religious objections.

Arizona House Bill 2625, authored by Majority Whip Debbie Lesko, R-Glendale, would permit employers to ask their employees for proof of medical prescription if they seek contraceptives for non-reproductive purposes, such as hormone control or acne treatment.

“I believe we live in America. We don’t live in the Soviet Union,” Lesko said. “So, government should not be telling the organizations or mom and pop employers to do something against their moral beliefs.”

Lesko said this bill responds to a contraceptive mandate in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law March 2010.

“My whole legislation is about our First Amendment rights and freedom of religion,” Lesko said. “All my bill does is that an employer can opt out of the mandate if they have any religious objections.”

Glendale resident Liza Love said the bill would impose on women’s rights to keep their medical records private.

Love spoke to the committee about her struggle with polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis, conditions requiring her to use birth control.

“I wouldn’t mind showing my employer my medical records,” Love said. “But there are 10 women behind me that would be ashamed to do so.”

.....

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?