"I object to the title of the proposal," an act to protect the civil rights of women and children," she said. "It sounds like chivalry."

Central to the conflict over this bill is a disagreement over whether pornography actually provokes violence against women.

Murray said there is an established link between pornography and violence against women.

"The courts have decided that there is a relation to viewing pornographic films and men attacking women," she said.

But Hudner said there is no proven correlation between pornography and violence. "Women suffered from violence and abuse long before there were visual images," she said.

Hudner said the bill places blame on publishers, distributors, and video store owners instead of on the assailant.

"A criminal can say `I didn't mean to beat her up. Pornography made me do it,'" she added. "People have to be directly responsible for their own actions."

The bill has caused divisions among feminists and women politicians, Hudner said. "It's sort of a Pied Piper of older women pushing younger women into believing that censorship is acceptable in a free society," she said.

The controversial nature of the bill, which has bipartisan support, is reflective of the split among feminists across the country, said bill co-sponsor Rep. Barbara Gardner (D-Holliston).

"I don't think anyone has found a way to combat pornography without running amok with civil liberties unions and others who want to protect individual rights," she said.