The Bard is acting unlawfully. Are they appointed or elected? Can they be replaced? Or can a court step in and say, “YOu must act lawfully or face contempt of court”?
Please contact Governor McDonnell at http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm
Ask him to REJECT these regulations to weaken our clinic safety laws by not enforcing these requirements on current abortion clinics in VA!
Comments on this issue from the Virginia Family Foundation:
Information Alert: More Abortion Hysterics
Late Monday, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office announced that it would not certify the abortion center standards adopted by the Board of Health at its June meeting. The decision comes as no surprise as the AG’s representative at the Board meeting informed members that they exceeded their authority when they voted to make dramatic changes to the proposed regulations.
Immediately following the AG’s announcement the abortion industry went into more contrived hysterics. Since the regulations were initially proposed last year, the industry has made the AG a target of its wrath instead of making persuasive arguments about the regulations themselves. Now, they’ve created an anti-Cuccinelli website and plan to protest his public appearances. Again yesterday, industry apologists threatened yet more staged protests on Capitol Square.
The industry was also enraged by Governor Bob McDonnell’s appointment Friday of Dr. John Seeds to the Board of Health. Dr. Seeds is the former director of the OB/GYN department at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) and is one of the most respected doctors in his field. Those credentials are not enough for the abortion industry, which is distraught over the fact that Dr. Seeds was a co-chair of OBGYNS for Life, a pro-life organization of medical doctors committed to recognizing the dignity of the unborn.
In 2011 the General Assembly passed legislation that requires the Board of Health to promulgate standards for Virginia’s abortion centers. Later that year, the Board adopted emergency regulations that are currently in effect. Most of the Commonwealth’s abortion centers have applied for licensing, something required by the standards, and several have already been inspected by the Department of Health officials. Permanent regulations are currently going through the long approval process, including review by the Attorney General, with final action coming from the Governor likely later this year.
Abortion apologists make the unsubstantiated claim that abortion is “safe” and does not require state standards. The fact is, however, that no federal or state law requires that records be kept by the government of complications or deaths due to abortion. There is simply no way to know how many women have been harmed by abortion. In just the past few months, we’ve uncovered more incidents involving Virginia abortion doctors putting women’s health at risk. One clinic operator ultimately surrendered their medical license, but they are still allowed to operate abortion centers.
The permanent standards proposed include licensing, inspections, emergency equipment, sanitary standards, adequate training for staff, and necessary reporting of complications and deaths.
Ironically, it is liberals in Virginia arguing that the abortion center standards “will cost too much,” while they usually argue that regulations are not costly and burdensome to other industries. We agree that the regulations could cost the abortion industry some of its $1 billion, but it is simply a matter of whether women’s health and safety are worth the investment to the industry.
Liberalized abortion laws were supposed to protect women from the unsafe back alley abortionists. Yet, now a state’s attempt to regulate the sanitary conditions of abortion clinics is seen as a threat to these same women. Go figure.