Michigan Representative Rebekah Warren has introduced a new breastfeeding bill, House Bill 5515. HB 5515 would allow a woman to breastfeed anywhere she may otherwise legally be. The law would amend the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to state in part:
Sec. 302. Except where permitted by law, a person shall not: (a) Deny the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of a place of public accommodation or public service to an individual because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, or marital status or to a woman because she is breastfeeding a child.
To …read more

In a disappointing and short-sighted move, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed two breastfeeding bills. One was the bill I took the time to ask my state senators to support — SB 257 the Pavley-Employee Notification/Lactation Accommodation that would have required state entities to inform pregnant employees about the existing California law that requires workplace lactation accommodation.overnor Schwarzenegger believed that there was not adequate evidence that mothers are not aware of their right to workplace lactation accommodation. However, the California WIC Association sponsored the bill in the first place because it found that state agencies do not always advise pregnant …read more

Great news out of Michigan this month! State representatives Rebekah Warren and Tonya Schuitmaker plan to introduce a resolution and a bill in support of mothers’ right to breastfeed. Rep. Warren states:
Michigan is one of only a handful of states that still fails to protect breastfeeding moms from being harassed, segregated, or otherwise discouraged from breastfeeding in public. Breastfeeding moms must be allowed to feed their infants wherever they may otherwise legally be. This is more than a lifestyle choice; it is an important health choice.
While the bill has not been formally introduced in the House yet, it appears that …read more

It never fails to amaze me how companies manage to get themselves into hot water for failing to follow the law regarding breastfeeding in public or in the workplace! Here are just a few of the most recent incidents.
Acosta Tacos: The owner of Acosta Tacos in Los Angeles, California has been ordered to pay Marina Chavez $21,645.00 in lost wages plus $20,000.00 for emotional damages after the owner fired Chavez for breastfeeding her baby on her breaks. In this groundbreaking case, the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission found that breastfeeding is intrinsic to the female sex and thus breastfeeding …read more

Believe it or not, Michigan law used to allow babies to be out of their car seats if they were nursing. At the time I assumed it was a misguided nod to the Big Three and all things automotive. The car is king! Keep it moving! Despite the unsafe nature of the law, I appreciated the apparent belief in the importance of breastfeeding.However, Michigan recently chose to tighten its car seat belts laws. Local News Channel 3 WWMT explains:
The legislation now also prohibits removing a child from a car seat to nurse while the vehicle is in motion. Babies should …read more

Since the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 was first introduced in Congress a month ago, three new co-sponsors have committed to the bill (two from New York and one from Guam), bringing the total number of sponsors up to 13 in the House and two in the Senate. Senator Jeff Merkley, the original sponsor in the Senate, offered the Breastfeeding Promotion Act as an amendment to the Senate Health Committee health care reform bill and it was accepted! While it may not make the final cut, this is tremendous progress! The D.C. Breastfeeding Coalition promises to let us know when …read more

Remember back in March when I wrote to Dear Abby about the fact that A Bathroom is Not a Pumping Room? My response was not selected for printing but today’s Dear Abby column is entirely dedicated to other helpful replies: Employer Obliged to Give New Mom a Private Space.
I especially liked that the responses included a reference to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services information booklet: “A Business Case for Breastfeeding: Steps for Creating a Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite: Easy Steps to Supporting Breastfeeding Employees.” (PDF Download).
I must be on a breastfeeding letter-writing kick because last night I …read more

Calling all United States readers! It only takes 60 seconds to use this easy tool from the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) to ask your representatives and senators to co-sponsor the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009. Simply type in your name and address including zip code+4 and the USBC does the rest! Here are more details in an email you can forward to ask your friends to use the tool as well.

Whether or not you live in the United States, please take a moment to join the Facebook group I created in support of the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009.
This is the fifth time this bill has been up for consideration in Congress and it needs a strong show of support for passage in this 111th Congress! Please help spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, and any breastfeeding groups to which you belong! If you live in the United States, please consider writing to your representatives and senators to ask them to co-sponsor the bill. We need a groundswell of …read more

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 was introduced on June 11, 2009. Now is the time to take action to support HR2819 / S1244 by writing to your state representatives and senators to ask them to co-sponsor the bill. In addition to the original sponsors Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York and Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, 10 representatives and one senator co-sponsor the bill as of June 17, 2009: Reps. Capps, Olver, and Frank of Massachusetts, Reps. Roybal-Allard, Levin, and Meeks of New York, and Reps. Kaptur, Snyder, Schwartz, and Moran of Virginia, and Senator Gillibrand of New York.
You …read more