Senate Passes Bill to Allow Breast-Feeding in Public
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SACRAMENTO — The state Senate passed a bill Thursday to guarantee women’s right to breast-feed their babies in public.
State law does not prohibit a mother from breast-feeding in public, but proponents of the measure, led by Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles), contend that the bill is needed to combat discrimination against breast-feeding mothers.
The Assembly approved the bill in April, and Senate approval was widely expected. The vote was 28-5.
Villaraigosa said he introduced the legislation in response to incidents in restaurants and other businesses in which mothers have been asked not to breast-feed their children in public.
“There’s nothing better that a mother can do for a child. She should feel comfortable doing it anywhere. The more women breast-feed in public, the more accepting society will become,” Villaraigosa said.
A few Republican lawmakers opposed the bill, saying it was unnecessary.
The Assembly must vote on the bill again because of minor changes made by the Senate.
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