The Virginia Board of Health decided that their "hospital style" building codes targeting abortion clinics were unconstitutional based on a recent Supreme Court ruling. You think? Abortion is a shockingly safe procedure Forced birthers know this but don't care. They have done everything they can to try to overturn Roe v Wade and when that didn't work, fought to implement stringent requirements to not only have the healthcare providers have hospital admitting privileges, but also that the actual facilities themselves be of the same code as a hospital.
The Washington Post reports that just a few months ago the board implied that they would lift the requirement for the states 14 existing clinics but would require them on any new clinics. So basically, every single person who needed an abortion would have to either go to one of these 14 clinics or cross state lines to MD or DC. By the way, Virginia is a HUGE state, spanning 42,775 square miles. So 14 clinics in the entire state is shockingly small.
One of Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe's key positions was to serve as a "brick wall" against any abortion restrictions. Thank you, Governor.
After today's news, Governor McAuliffe said:
“I want to thank the Virginia Board of Health for working to repeal onerous regulations designed solely to reduce or outright remove access to essential reproductive health services for women across the Commonwealth. This vote demonstrates to the rest of the United States and the world that Virginia is a community where people can live, find employment, and start a family without politicians interfering with decisions that should be made by women and their doctors.”
Anna Scholl, executive director of Progress Virginia Education Fund said:
“Today the women of Virginia can take a deep breath knowing that for now they will continue to have access to safe and legal abortion. Politicians, not doctors, pushed these sham restrictions to cut off women’s ability to access comprehensive reproductive health care services.”
But as we all know, pro lifers don't go down without a fight. Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia, insinuated that they would be wasting more time by tying up the court in litigation regarding how a woman seeks out medical care for her own body
“The actions of the Board that violate state law and the Board’s disregard for the clear intent of the General Assembly have opened Virginia to costly litigation. We have known from day one of this administration that abortion will be protected at all costs – including ignoring the well-being of the women who make the unfortunate decision to entire an abortion center in Virginia.”
Maybe Victoria needs to care more about her own body than other women's. Let agree to only focus on making informed decisions about our healthcare and move on.
