Birth Control Vote A Bitter Pill For Many

PORTLAND, Maine -- A vote to allow a Maine middle school to make contraception available to students has prompted an effort to recall three members of the Portland School Committee.

In all, seven Portland Republican City Committee members voted in favor of the King Middle School plan, but election cycles and city rules make only three eligible for recall, WMTW-TV in Portland reported.

The committee has initiated the recall of school committee members Rebecca Minnick, Robert O'Brien and Sarah Thompson.

Earlier this month, the committee approved a plan that made the middle school the first one in Maine to offer a full range of contraception to students in grades six through eight.

The Portland Republican City Committee on Monday began gathering signatures on a recall affidavit. They will need 500 signatures initially, then 3,000 more to force a citywide special election.

Monday's event garnered about 175 signatures.

Meanwhile, another member of the Portland School Committee is offering a plan that would make changes to last week's decision.

Ben Meiklejohn said he will submit a resolution at the Nov. 7 school committee meeting that will clearly state that reproductive services, including birth control, would be available only to students age 14 and older.

The resolution would create an opt-out provision for the first year but would allow students to receive health services even if they don't have parental permission to receive contraception.

As it stands, children need parental permission to be treated at the clinic at King Middle School.

It also would require parents to be informed that it would be up to their child -- not the school -- to tell them if their child is receiving the pill.