Kathleen, congratulations for surviving a legislative session.  As past
legislative chair of the Breastfeeding Task Force, here in Georgia, I know
your pain well!  The ignorance you have run into does not disappear
quickly.  But with persistance, you can overcome it.  Here in Georgia, we
thought we had the perfect "breastfeeding in public" law, back in 1998,
when we introduced it.  But what came out at the very end of session
wasn't so perfect.  It had the tag line "in a discreet and modest manner"
attached to the description of breastfeeding.  And that's how the governor
signed it.  It has taken 3 years of committee and subcommittee
meetings....and a lot of individual legislator education, to get those
legislators to see why these simple words mattered, and pass an amendment
striking those words.  By this year, the sub-committee chair who had held
us back in 2000 was our ally, and helping us through the process, thanks
to the power of repetitive educational visits. His education and respect
for our sincerity, led to him being able to educate other.  Combine that
with the constant strength of our sponsors in the House, Representative
Sally Harrell, and in the Senate, Senator Donzella James, and we came out
winners this spring.  We merely wait for our traditional May signing by
the governor.

So chin up Kathleen!  You and all your group have done a bang-up start for
your legislation.  Take a rest, do something completely different for a
while, recharge your batteries.  Next year's session will come soon enough.


Warmly,
Kathy Chiu, IBCLC
Director of Sales
Whisper Wear, Inc.
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