In addition to Democrats’ victory in passing the “rainy day” fund today, House legislators chalked up another major victory this morning—passing the “Access to Birth Control” bill, House Bill 2700, which will require insurance to provide contraception to women as part of their drug benefit plan.

It will effectively expand access to birth control for women across the state, although “religious institutions” are exempted from having to pay for the coverage if they have a moral obligation. (You know, the “moral obligation” that some religions have to preach against simple contraception, leading to a world full of STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and overpopulation-related poverty and starvation.)

The bill also requires emergency room workers to inform victims of rape and incest about emergency contraception, and to provide the treatment if it’s requested.

The House Majority office sent out a press release full of quotes from House D’s, but this one, from rookie representative Tina Kotek, says it all:

“In casting this vote today, we stand on the shoulders of giants,” Kotek says. “Generations of women in our nation and in Oregon have fought for fairness in women’s health care and, with dogged determination in the face of many bitter defeats, made the change created today possible.”