A Senate committee took testimony Tuesday on a proposal to protect the rights of breastfeeding mothers. The legislation would make it illegal to harass or stop women from breastfeeding in public.
State Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison) is the sponsor of the bill. He says mothers should be allowed to breastfeed in any public location they're otherwise able to be in. The Madison Democrat says the health benefits of breastfeeding have been clearly shown, but many women avoid doing it in public because they're afraid of accusations of indecency.
Risser was joined by over a dozen nursing mothers at Tuesday's Capitol hearing. He says their stories are what prompted the bill. Many talked about being asked to leave public malls or restaurants because they were breastfeeding. One mother even talked about being asked to feed her baby in a bathroom.
The Senate Committee on Public Health is expected to take action the bill later this month. A similar proposal in the Assembly received a public hearing in March . No action has been taken yet on that legislation.
