Comments on: Arkansas Breastfeeding Coalition

By: Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » Arkansas Breastfeeding Bill Victory

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » Arkansas Breastfeeding Bill Victory — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:21:01 +0000

[...] to the Chairwoman of the Arkansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Governor Mike Beebe is expected to sign the bill within days and the new laws will become [...]

By: Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » Arkansas Breastfeeding Legislation Sponsored

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » Arkansas Breastfeeding Legislation Sponsored — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 13:30:41 +0000

[...] The Arkansas Breastfeeding Coalition’s draft breastfeeding legislation found a sponsor! Representative Pam Adcock introduced House Bill 2411. Originally the bill would have provided broad protection for a woman to breastfeed in any public or other place, but the House amended the bill so it would merely exempt breastfeeding from the Arkansas indecent exposure law. The amended bill reads: A woman is not in violation of [the indecent exposure law] for breastfeeding a child in a public place or any place where other individuals are present. [...]

By: Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » Public Hearing Scheduled for Oregon Bill That Supports Working Mothers

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:22:43 +0000

[...] In the new year breastfeeding legislation has been proposed or passed in several states including Arkansas, Indiana, New York, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Oregon joins that list with the introduction of House Bill 2372. The Oregon legislation would require employers with 25 or more employees to provide unpaid breaks and a private location for nursing mothers to express milk. The Reluctant Lactivist, an Oregon nursing mother named Chris, notes that if the bill is enacted it would affect 10% of businesses employing 70% of Oregon workers. [...]

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:20:20 +0000

Thanks for your comment! Absolutely it would be nice to have protections/provisions for working mothers. It seems like states enact breastfeeding legislation in bits and pieces — exempting breastfeeding from indecency laws, allowing a mother to breastfeeding in any place in which she is authorized to be, and making provisions for mothers in the workplace. The second two are probably the hardest to get passed because legislators may hesitate to put any restrictions on local businesses (even for a good cause and even if it’s not really a restriction!)

By: Working Mom in AR

Working Mom in AR — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:10:05 +0000

Why would we not also want to have something silimar to the law in OK when the employers are asked to provide a quite private place for working mothers to pump. It is very hard to go back to work and try to find a secure, private, sanitary location to pump. I also belive that the employer should agree that he mother can use her breaks and lunch time to pump if needed to maintain her milk supply.
Just something to think about. Protecting our rights in public is great, but think about all the mothers that quit when they go back to work because they don’t have any place to pump. And try fining a place in an airport if your traveling away from your child to pump. It’s impossible.

By: Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » Breastfeeding Laws Proposed for West Virginia and Indiana

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:27:46 +0000

[...] Like Arkansas, West Virginia has not enacted any state law pertaining to breastfeeding. Previous attempts to enact breastfeeding legislation died at the end of the 2005 and 2006 legislative sessions before they reached a final vote. [...]