By Elaine Donnelly
Extending sexual misconduct to combat units
When you go to the doctor's office, walk-in clinic or outpatient-surgery facility, you expect the facility to be an environment that meets basic standards of health and safety. You assume the staff is well-trained, the examining room is clean, and the equipment sterilized.
The Virginia Board of Health's move to reverse a June decision and vote to adopt new regulations for abortion clinics in the state without exempting existing facilities delivered an immediate victory for pro-life groups, but long-term effects, both practical and political, are still far from clear.
The Virginia Board of Health on Friday voted to adopt new regulations for the state's abortion clinics, reversing a June decision that would have exempted existing facilities from rules that opponents claim could force a majority of the state's 20 clinics to close.
The Virginia Board of Health on Friday is scheduled to revisit its decision to exempt existing abortion facilities in the state from permanent hospital-like regulations — the latest chapter in a battle that has been raging for nearly two years over the highly-charged issue.
The first state inspections of abortion clinics under Virginia's new regulations revealed unsafe and "utterly disgusting" conditions such as spilled blood and fetal remains in the bottom of a freezer, a conservative organization said Wednesday.
Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are rallying their troops for a Virginia Board of Health meeting next week that could determine the future of many of the state's 20 abortion clinics.
Virginia's attorney general has refused to certify the new abortion clinic regulations passed by the Virginia Board of Health last month.
Pro-choice advocates still face a number of hurdles after the Virginia Board of Health's sudden decision to exempt existing abortion clinics from having to comply with hospitallike construction requirements on items such as hallway width and room sizes.
Pro-choice advocates won a hard-fought and sudden victory Friday when the Virginia Board of Health exempted existing abortion clinics from having to comply with hospital-like construction requirements on items like hallway width and room sizes.
The Virginia Board of Health on Friday is scheduled to vote on permanent regulations for abortions that critics decry as unnecessarily burdensome but proponents say are meant to ensure women's health.
Va. board votes on abortion clinic regulations; Md. assembly may put off gas tax hike; Perry: Americans don't want 'caretaker state'; D.C. spending bill moves through Senate; Michaele Salahi now with Journey guitarist?; Md. businesses got $16M in 9/11-related loans; U. of Md. student sexually assaulted in dorm.
