Senate Quickly Adopts Emergency Contraception Compromise
       The Senate on Wednesday quickly voted 37-0 to approve a compromise bill expanding access to emergency contraception. The bill requires all hospitals to provide the so-called morning-after pill to women who are raped and allows specially trained pharmacists to dispense the pill to women without a prescription.
       The compromise proposal does not include a provision adopted without debate in the House that would have allowed workers in privately owned hospitals to refuse to dispense the pill if it conflicted with individual moral beliefs.
       “We thought that this would clarify the principle that the Legislature intends that every woman who is brought to an emergency room in the case of rape, be entitled to emergency contraception if she wishes,” said Rep. Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham), one of the legislation’s chief sponsors.
       Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey has indicated her support for expanding access to the pill and said she would push for it to become law, but Gov. Mitt Romney has not offered his opinion on the subject, saying he would not comment on the bill until it reached his desk. According to Planned Parenthood, Romney indicated on a questionnaire in 2002 while campaigning for governor that he would "support efforts to increase access to emergency contraception." The House meets in a full formal session today.