Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Sitting pretty

Posted in:

Illinois

Yet another battle heats up, and this one puts the governor right where he wants to be.

Both sides are preparing for what may turn into a legal battle over Gov. Blagojevich’s order that pharmacists dispense contraceptives, even those that some pharmacists say kill embryos.

The Illinois Pharmacists Association asked Blagojevich to rescind his order. State Rep. Ron Stephens, a Downstate pharmacist, said, “I will not abide by it.” The conservative Family PAC is urging pharmacists to ignore the order. And Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki implored Blagojevich from the pulpit to rescind the order.

The governor is standing firm.

On Monday, he warned Family PAC Director Paul Caprio the state would impose “significant penalties” on any pharmacy that ignores the order.

He’ll play this one to the hilt. He’s inflamed, if not actually started, his own little culture war right here in Illinois. And, on this one, the public is most likely solidly behind the Democrat.

I gotta admit that I’m gaining more respect for his abilities every day. I don’t agree with the way he’s always looking to push a moral hot button (as he defines it), but that certainly makes him a different sort of Democrat.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 4:38 am

Comments

The more the government tries to squeeze its grip on its people, the more backlash there is going to be.

Of course, this will only force the government to squeeze its grip…..

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 6:45 am
Why would anyone think it is alright to allow an individual to choose, on his or her own, whether he or she will abide by or ignore a law? We should follow laws that are adopted by the representatives of the people.

Hey I think I’ll choose not to file my 40th (or whatever it is) in the nation Illinois income tax return this week, and damn the consequences!

Wait, wait, I choose not to file because of a religious tenet I hold dear to my heart…

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 9:23 am
I propose a new law. If you are going to operate a video store, you have to rent or sell pornography. No exceptions. After all, people have a right to view porn, no matter what YOUR religious beliefs.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 9:27 am
>Why would anyone think it is
>alright to allow an individual to
>choose, on his or her own, whether
>he or she will abide by or ignore a
>law?

Because the law is not right.

Confer: Facist Italy, Communist Russia, Nazi Germany, fundamentalist Iran, dictatorships such as Iraq and Cuba…etc

Segregation was a law in the US once. Would you have supported that law?

>We should follow laws that are
>adopted by the representatives of
>the people.

What if the law persecutes the minority?

I say people who have incomes in excess of $5 million a year should be taxed at 98%.

Who’s with me?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 9:48 am
bad analogy. If you work for the video store, and it rents porn, but you don’t want to rent it to people, as a business owner I fire you. The people in question don’t own the pharmacy, so they have to do what the job requires. If the min. wage clerk at the drug store holds a religious belief against booze, the lottery, or photography, can they choose to not serve you? If the pharmacist has a problem with birth control, they can open a pharmacy that doesn’t dispense it. And, post a sign that says so. Wouldn’t that be letting the market control this “problem”….

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 9:57 am
The people in question don’t own the
pharmacy, so they have to do what the job requires
****

So you would advocate a policy of allowing pharmacy owners to make the choice?

So if a corporation decides not to dispense certain items, as a matter of corporate policy, you’d be OK with that?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 10:13 am
ahhh I see

So a 7th Day Adventist, misguided by her high school counselor on collage career day who becomes a pharmacist, could simply choose not to dispense anything?

The anonymous poster who seems to be standing up for self-determination by religious conservatives needs a reality check.

I really like the other poster’s comment…let the pharmacist who believes dispensing is wrong open her or his shop and choose not to dispense…and so notify the public. Don’t take the job at Walgreens and tell your boss you’ll follow the law…and then choose not to do so because it offends you.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 10:54 am
The mean old federal government won’t let us filch drugs from Canada. The drug companies gouge poor old ladies (although we’re not opposed to giving them pork and taking their campaign cash). And now the pharmacists are part of the cabal. Guv’s got all the bad guys lined up here. Just sit back and wait schedule an interview with the NYTimes.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 12:16 pm
It is good when the government tries to micromanage people by passing laws I think are good.

It is bad when the government tries to micromanage people by passing laws I think are bad.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 2:12 pm
I have to agree with anonymous poster #2. I don’t think I will file my income tax either. I don’t believe in taxation without representation.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 2:38 pm
Maybe I misunderstand the Blago rule on pharmacies, which would not surprise me given the average quality of reporting in the major news media.

Does it, in fact, allow an exception for pharmacies to simply not stock certain products? If so, that changes my perspective. An independent pharmacists, e.g. one who owns his/her own store, should be able to sell or not sell whatever he or she chooses. But, if you work for someone else, I do agree that you are stuck with their policies.

viz. I’m a lawyer who doesn’t believe in divorce. My options are, open a practice that doesn’t offer divorces, or work for someone in an area of the law that doesn’t involve divorce. But I don’t get to go to work for a family law practice and turn away their clients because I don’t believe in divorce.

How’s that analogy? Better?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 2:57 pm
I think culture wars are politicians’ ways of diverting the electorate away from issues politicians should be resolving but don’t want to resolve. So instead we debates stuff like this.

Comment by Bill Baar Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 4:24 pm
We certainly does…

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 5:17 pm
the late afternoon Bill Baar is right…

We fiddle with this and that (landfills, DNR mechanics who use wheelchairs, pharmacists who just wanna say no, mediocre HS graduation requirements) while classrooms remain crowded, the State budget is in serious trouble, a 10th license sits idle, transportation problems are piling up.

Can the Governor please step forward and lead??

it is almost like the office of Governor is on vacation!

Comment by Mongo Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 5:56 pm
This is not that imporant of an issue and people should be free to both buy contraceptives and free not to sell them.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 12, 05 @ 6:57 pm
Isn’t Paul Caprio on the video games violence committee appointed by Rod.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 15, 05 @ 5:45 pm