Virginia Governor Tramples Democracy to Place Onerous Regs on Abortion Clinics

[marmar]

Va. Governor Tramples Democracy to Place Onerous Regs on Abortion Clinics


Using a highly unusual "emergency" process, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is expected on Friday, August 26th to issue guidelines under what is known as a Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) law that will treat clinics providing first trimester abortions as a form of hospital. There are no medical or public health indications for such regulations.

In March, McDonnell, a virulently anti-choice Republican, signed SB 924 that requires clinics performing first trimester abortions to be regulated as hospitals. The bill gave the state's Board of Health 280 days to create and to enact the new regulations. Because McDonnell has invoked "emergency" status for the process, it is expected that temporary regulations--which will first be issued tomorrow and voted on by the Board of Health in September--will be put in place for a period of up to 18 months while permanent rules are developed through a more established process.

The catch is this: the McDonnell Administration is bypassing virtually all democratic processes in place for the creation of such regulations. Under the emergency designation, the normal process for public review and comment on regulations, which usually involves several opportunities for expert testimony and public comment and an economic impact assessment among other considerations, has been completely thrown out. Instead, draft regulations will be released tomorrow, and then voted on at a meeting of the Board of Health on September 15th. Instead of any public hearings or comment periods, the Board meeting will be the only time for the public to speak out. After the board votes on these temporary regulations, they will go to the governor for final approval. Moreover, the McDonnell administration has claimed it has the authority to rewrite without any further notice or input any temporary regulations presented to it for signature. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/656053/va._governor_tramples_democracy_to_place_onerous_regs_on_abortion_clinics/

[spanone]

1. dear governor, abortion is a legal medical procedure between a woman and her doctor...fuck off

[CurtEastPoint]

2. And the name, TRAP, is exactly what it is. What buffoons.

[StarsInHerHair]

3. CAN U PLEASE STOP CALLING THEM THAT? WOMENS HEALTH CLINICS is the truth!

breast cancer screenings, cervical cancer screenings, help with chemo for breast cancer, flu shots for Grandmothers.....enough's enough with the Right's lies

[marmar]

4. It's a headline on the story....calm down.