Concerned Tosan…you can bet that Reynolds knows about the concern about his connection to “Pastor” Ovadal. It’s been raised more than a few times to him. I did so almost a year ago http://www.bootsandsabers.com/index.php/weblog/comments_w_sidebars/5597/ And his buddy Bob (”Please Teach Me How to Use Spell-Check”) Dohnal has been active on blogs defending Reynolds against these charges. Next time he asks for the website, tell him to read here: http://www.pccmonroe.com/Ecumenism/pope.htm

I agree that a person should not be required to do anything, employment related or otherwise, if it conflicts with deeply held beliefs. But there are options for offended pharmcists, evangelical bartenders, PETA grocers…DON”T WORK OR EVEN PLACE YOURSELF IN THOSE SITUATIONS…If birth control is offensive, work in a nursing home or hospital (but not-God Forbid-a hospital that treats sexual assault victims) Just for fun, I wrote Senator Reynolds (R-West Allis, Wauwatosa, West Milwaukee, Elm Grove, Brookfield,and Milwaukee)regardng this proposal last year…I suggested that pharmacies be required, per this law, to alert consumers, prior to their entering the establishment, that the pharmcist on duty will refuse to fill certain prescriptions…this would give the consumer the option of taking their business elsewhere and/or returning at a time when the offended pharmacist is not on duty…seems silly but sane to me!!!…it would protect the confidentiality of the costomer when the horrified pharmacist publicly refuses to fill the prescirption…thereby alerting other customers of the nature of the prescription…and causing embarassment to a potential repeat cusotmer, who in all likelihood will not be a repeat customer given the breach of confidentiality…the other option would be having two highly paid pharmacists on duty so the consumer could get their prescription filled and go about their private business without public fear of exposure that they actually have had sex or are planning on having sex…Senator Reynolds’ response (he actually responded!!!!) was that…

“my suggestion about notifying the poublic about a pharmacist’s beliefs is an interesting one. THe Pharmacist Conscience Clause does not address the specifics on how customer service is provided. The details should be worked out between the pharmacist and their employer”

ISN”T PART OF THE POINT OF THE LEGISLATION TO INTERFERE (i.e. prevent firings, professional discipline, hiring decisions, etc.) WITH THE EMPLOYER/EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP!!!

Going on…

“The Pharmacist’s Conscience Clause is an attempt to protect the First Amendment right of pharmacist’s to act on there convictions while maintaining the availability of birth control and other medications”

HUH!!!

Here’s an example.

Some time ago I attended a listening session of his in Wauwatosa. I took the opportunity ask him about a number of issues including his support of the Pier Bill and the matter of criminalizing the use of BCE in public school textbooks. My closing inquiry was about how he felt about having a business relationship with the Reverend Ralph Ovadal’s organization; and if he as concerned at all about Ovadal’s anti-Catholic rhetoric; particularly Ovadal’s characterization of the late Pope as a “minister of satan”.

The Senator’s response to this inquiry was to feign ignorance about anything Ovadal and his organization stood for or spoke about. Senator Reynolds asked that I forward him the website of this group so that he could “look into the matter and learn more about it”.

When Charlie Sykes confronted Reynolds on the same matter in a recent radio interview the Senator, again, feigned ignorance. You may recall the Senator mentioning that the first he heard about Ovadal’s hateful invective was when a “fellow at a listening session” pointed it out. I was that “fellow” the Senator referred to.

Either Reynolds is a liar or clueless. And I don’t buy into his claim of “ignorance” He knows precisely what’s going on; he’s just playing possum and hoping that this issue starves for lack of scrutiny and attention.

I think you should give it all the attention you can. As a Christian individual raised in the Roman Catholic tradition I am offended by the Senator’s business ties with a hate group the bashes Catholics at every opportunity. I would be equally offended if he had a business relationship with a neo-Nazi organization. As a public official his business ties are fair game in my opinion.