Council to Vote on Breastfeeding Ordinance

After weeks of discussion, Doylestown Borough Council members are expected to take action on a local rule to protect mothers who breastfeed in public places.

The nine council members are expected to vote on whether to advertise a local ordinance that would prohibit "discrimination against breastfeeding in public accomodations."

The council meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. - note the change from its usual 7 p.m. time - at . The public is encouraged to attend.

More than a dozen people - mostly women - came out to a recent committee hearing and spoke in favor of the ordinance.

The local ordinance would give mothers who have been asked to cover up or to move a place to turn to file a complaint, supporters said. Perhaps more importantly, they also hoped it would help increase public acceptance of breastfeeding, which is widely cited as the best form of infant nutrition.

Objectors argue that a local ordinance isn't necessary and shouldn't be the role of government. The Doylestown community hasn't been clamoring for the ordinance, they argued, and few instances have been reported of women directly being asked to leave or cover up in a restaurant or shop.

If a majority of the council members vote tonight to advertise the ordinance, the public would have a few weeks to comment on the ordinance before it returns to council for a final vote.

In other business tonight, the council is expected to commend the actions of two police officers involved in the Father's Day standoff in Doylestown Township with an armed and barricaded man.

They also are expected to commend the work of a borough resident, two borough police officers and a Doylestown Township police officer for working together to prevent a burglary in progress in January. The subject charged in that case later was charged with several other burglaries and in and around Doylestown.

To see the complete agenda for tonight's borough council meeting, click on the attached file.