Yesterday a new law went into effect that encourages Oklahoma employers to provide unpaid break time for a working mother to pump her milk or breastfeed her child. The Tulsa World ran an article today that discusses reaction to the new law:
State Rep. Dale DePue, R-Edmond, wrote the bill that became Oklahoma’s law on breastfeeding and the workplace. He wanted to take on the issue but didn’t want to force employers to do anything they couldn’t afford or provide. “We’re trying to get employers thinking about this, but we just didn’t make it real tough,” he said. “Maybe it will …read more

A majority of states have laws pertaining to breastfeeding (for a full list, see this summary). Oklahoma already has two breastfeeding laws on the books. The first protects a woman’s right to breastfeed in public (and states that breastfeeding does not violate the state’s indecent exposure law):
[A] mother may breast-feed her baby in any location where the mother is otherwise authorized to be.
Title 63, Section 1-234.1 (2004).
The second exempts a nursing mother from jury duty:
Mothers who are breast-feeding a baby, upon their request, shall be exempt from service as jurors.
Title 38, Section 28 (2001).
A new Oklahoma statute goes into effect …read more