Shame on our House Reps and I hope you heard our voices loud and clear after this disgraceful vote! Double Shame on Rep Jenn Coffey for her ignorant, demeaning comments to women!

What I witnessed today was not democracy. There is a huge lack of common sense in Concord and some changes are in order.

I hope you hear me Mr Belanger, Mr Elliott, Mr Sytek, Ms Garcia, Mr Bettencourt ! Just one question, did you enjoy your free lunch in the cafeteria ?

I say if the Catholic Church wants to be granted exemptions for aspects of their health insurance coverage, that is fine, as long as they give up their tax exempt status to do so. Private businesses should be able to provide whatever benefits that it wants to its employees but a tax exempt business (yes, it is a business) should not be allowed to make such discriminatory decisions because the taxpayers have agreed to provide them with an exemption from paying their fair share to financially supporting their community.

I am so ashamed of our New Hampshire State Reps. who voted for this.

I feel badly about this. The best we can do is to be there for New Hampshire's women in November and vote these people out.

Remember this in November! Along with the long list of other far right radical Bills passed by this group governing our State House...Vote them out!!!

For medical neccessity...covered for good reason ("health" care). For choice contraception? Why...other than because it's something people don't feel like paying for anymore? Sorry, but they got this right. Nice to see a Democrat seeing the unconstitutionality too...

If women were in the majority in the NH House, all these anti-women bills would never get out of Committee. Women vote at a higher rate than men. NH Women need to remember in November. If they don't and either Smith or Lamontange become Governor, the sky will be the limit in 2013.

See? Republicans in Concord know what we worry about.

We wake up every morning to the nightmare that our insurance plans cover contraceptives. Thank goodness they did something about that.

When more women get pregnant because they can't afford contraceptives don't complain when your tax dollars go to support them on welfare.

@Rusty: Don't tell me to watch my comments. It is a FACT that a Canadian Utility company lobbying for a project provided a free lunch for State Reps in the cafeteria of the State House. One Rep told me it was a lovely buffet and the cheesecake was to die for. In passing through I saw Rep Belanger sitting in the corner with Ms Griffin from Windham but I couldn't get his attention to ask about the cake.

This bill doesn't just apply to religious organizations. It's ANY employer who has objections.

@Wendy: I don't know if a Canadian utility company ultimately ended up paying for the lunch but word around the Statehouse yesterday was that the Canadian consulate was inviting the reps down for lunch. An announcement was also made as such just before the break.

Let's take this one step further. Both "Wendy James" and "Salem activist" have vented about the current legislature both here and at the Eagle Tribune. I offer this opportunity, please attend our Town Hall meeting on Saturday or call me personally on my cell phone: 603-247-2868 .I'm happy to answer any concerns or questions. I'm confident that if they believe strongly enough in their views, they will be more than comfortable making their case directly to me. I look forward to chatting with them

Actually not at all, Don. I voted based on my convictions and principles. As the great Edmund Burke said, "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion."

Please attend on Saturday or give me a call on my cell phone if you would like to discuss the issue in person. Given your strong views on the issue, I look forward to chatting with you. I hope to change your seemly cynical view that political leaders trade their votes for convenience over conviction. I hope you'll have the equal conviction to introduce yourself and chat with me.

If a woman wants contraception, it is her responsibility to pay for it herself.

At one time people thought that welfare encouraged and aided in keeping minorities suppressed. During the discussion on one talk show the comments indicated the freedom to use contraception kept women in bed and men free from the responsibility of a families. How spin doctors work their wordsmith.

If alter boys could get pregnant you would see the Catholic Church take a different stance on contraception.

The point of our Town Hall meeting is to engage in a productive and healthy direct dialogue with constituents about the issues and challenges in Concord. If the goal is simply to vent about our disagreements or attack our political opponents then the protests and the poison pen “Letters to the Editor” are sufficient. I believe its time to move beyond yelling past each other and actually have a productive conversation about the issues facing New Hampshire and why we have taken the actions we have.

I’m not naïve enough to think that the outcome of this meeting will be that we will all walk out together, arm and arm singing kumbaya. However, it is my hope that while you may disagree with us you will have a greater appreciation for our thought process and appreciate that we have common goals and while we may have disagreements about the steps needed to achieve those goals we agree more often then we disagree.

Finally, it’s an opportunity for you to be able to look us in the eye and shake our hand. Despite the outrageous hyperbole in the media and elsewhere, we care deeply about New Hampshire and we are serving in Concord because we love our state and community. It certainly can’t be said that we do it for the money. I hope you will join us on Saturday.

Feminism is good when it's about fighting for equal pay, equal intellectual growth and recognition, bringing about a healthy awareness, defending motherhood and the hard work that comes with it, and DEFENDING the health of women of all ages with a NATURAL defense. Fighting for birth control (hormonal especially) is demeaning! If women want to undermine themselves by succumbing to the false propaganda and brainwashing of the pharamceutical industries making money then they should have to be the one's to pay for their own demise. That or educate young women about their rights as WOMEN to remain women, give birth (if it is their choice to become parents), to live naturally, respect their bodies and Mother Nature, which, esentially is the SAME THING! Wake up people, we are supposed to be an evolved species yet we're fighting against everything we truly stand for! LIFE!

When you have an organization known to harbor pedophiles you have to wonder what their motivation is to get people to have more children. The Catholic Church is one of the most morally bankrupt organizations in the world they need to get their own house in order before they start telling others what they should be doing.

Mary I hate to tell you this but the Catholic church says that any form of conception including condoms are a sin. Where in the collection of myths that you call the Bible does it say that birth control is against any of the 613 Commandments in the Bible. the church justs make it up as they go along to control the masses and keep the flow of money comming in. Open your mind and think for yourself and don't let some man in a tall hat in rome brinwash you into thinking you will go to hell if you don't do what he says.