HARRISBURG, Pa. - A rally was planned for Monday afternoon in the Capitol Rotunda to show support for a bill protecting nursing mothers.

"I have been fortunate to have young working mothers working for me. They're terrific," said Sen. Connie Williams, the Montgomery County Democrat who sponsored the bill. "They come back to work while they're still nursing their babies."

Williams' bill would allow breast feeding in public and ban companies from firing women who breast feed or use a breast pump at work. It would also extend tax credits to companies with policies encouraging breast feeding. She said the bill is positioned for a Senate vote this week.

Amy Clothier Gaudion of Camp Hill, a member of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women who was scheduled to speak at the rally, said the bill would make breast feeding more commonplace.

"A woman's decision to breast-feed often is influenced by whether she will be supported in the workplace and by fears that she will be stuck at home with no chance to shop or see a movie," she said.