The Washington Board of Pharmacy says it won't provide conscience protections for pharmacies or pharmacists after all.
With the threat of lawsuits, the board had begun moving in the direction of providing the protections for pharmacists who, for religious reasons, do not want to deal with contraceptives or the "morning-after" pill. Now, Joseph Backholm of the Family Policy Institute of Washington tells OneNewsNow the board has stopped the rule-making process.
Joseph Backholm (Family Policy Institute of Washington)"It was a lawsuit against the state on behalf of several pharmacists that will now likely move forward," Backholm explains. "It had been suspended once it looked like the Board of Pharmacy was going to provide a right of referral. And now they are not going to do so -- and there's a possibility that that lawsuit moves ahead."
In addition, says the family advocate, proponents of conscience protections might approach the legislature or seek an initiative to put it on a future ballot. Backholm emphasizes, however, that the issue is not about abortion, but about freedom.
"Every business owner should believe that they have the right to decide what they want to sell and at what price they want to sell it," he argues. "And the government doesn't get to come in and tell them: 'Well no, we really like this product and we want to make sure that the people in your area can buy this at a given price, and so we're going to make you do it or else you don't get to be in business' -- which is what they're telling pharmacists right now."
He adds that the state is essentially saying business owners cannot run their businesses according to their consciences, but according to that of the government.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: December 28, 2010
