Legislation would protect mothers from being harassed for breast-feeding in public.
"So she doesn't feel that she has to sit in a disgusting bathroom or put a blanket over her head, which interferes with the child's breastfeeding, too."
Democrat Representative Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay authored the bill, saying we not only need to protect mothers from ridicule, we need to encourage them to breast feed considering the health benefits.
The Assembly Health Committee holds a public hearing on the matter at the capitol. A similar measure has already passed the state Senate, but the nurse with over 30 years of experience wants to tweak it a bit.
"It went through the Senate with an amendment attached and we want it to go through the Assembly without that amendment."
Pasch explains the Senate's amendment changes the language from 'one cannot interfere' to 'one cannot prohibit' a woman from breastfeeding. She says a woman has the right to feed her child when the baby gets hungry, without somebody either stopping her or taunting her.
"We think that that undermines the intent of the bill."
Anyone interfering with a breastfeeding mother could be fined up to 200 bucks. Governor Jim Doyle has said he'll sign the bill if it gets to his desk.
