Chris Graham: Is McDonnell’s point moot?
Republican voters continue to toy with the idea of nominating a social conservative to run for president this fall.
The GOP establishment, meanwhile, is trying to position itself to be able to take advantage of the only thing that may be working in their favor.
“I am extremely concerned by recent reports that oil and gasoline prices continue to rise and gas could reach an average of $4.25 a gallon by April,” Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a political statement released today. Continue reading “Chris Graham: Is McDonnell’s point moot?” »
Crossover: Dems Repubs offer views on ’12 GA session
At a press conference in Richmond on Thursday, members of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses stood together to denounce the dozens of extreme, divisive bills passed over the first month of session.
Republican leaders then responded with a press event aimed at highlighting what they termed their “positive reform agenda.”
“Republicans are so focused on divisive policies that they are hindering our efforts at progress, putting our kids’ education at risk, and leaving them less prepared for the future,” said Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Donald McEachin (D-Henrico). “In the last four weeks, Senate and House Republicans have introduced hundreds of bills that target the poor, women, and immigrants, make it harder to vote, and discriminate against gays and lesbians. It’s time for Republicans to put divisive ideology and raw partisanship aside. Continue reading “Crossover: Dems Repubs offer views on ’12 GA session” »
ACLU: Law signed by McDonnell threatens reproductive freedom
Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed a bill requiring the Virginia Board of Health to issue regulations requiring abortion clinics that perform five or more first trimester abortions a month to be categorized as hospitals.
The ACLU of Virginia and other reproductive rights advocates opposed the bill when it was introduced in the General Assembly and have expressed concerns that the ensuing regulations will unconstitutionally restrict access to abortions.
The bill, SB 924 is an example of what is commonly referred to as “targeted regulation of abortion providers,” or TRAP, legislation and is intended to make abortions too expensive for clinics to offer them, or if the costs are passed on to patients, too expensive for women who need them. The Education and Health Committee of the Virginia Senate has routinely voted down such legislation after it passed the House of Delegates. However, this year the TRAP provisions came in the form of a House floor amendment that then went directly to the Senate floor.
“We are disappointed that the governor, like the General Assembly, decided to put politics above women’s constitutional rights and reproductive health,” said ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis. “In signing this bill into law, Governor McDonnell has singled out abortion providers for completely unwarranted and burdensome regulations that could jeopardize the health of women, particularly those who are least able to afford medical care.”
Ultimately, the effect of the law will depend on the regulations promulgated by the Board of Health. The regulations, which will likely include upgrades to facilities and higher standards for staffing and equipment, may require most clinics to undergo unnecessary and costly renovations.
“There is no study or expert medical opinion behind this bill,” added Willis. “Abortions in Virginia, which are already regulated, are safe. Widening hallways, adding equipment and requiring additional staffing, which are the likely requirements of the new regulations, will not make it any safer.”
“Whether or not there will be a legal challenge will depend on what the Board of Health does,” said Willis. “We’ll be closely monitoring how the board proceeds with its deliberations, and while no one in state government is completely immune from politics, we are hopeful that professionalism will ultimately win out over politics.”
Why abortion is the wrong fight in the health-care debate
Column by Rev. Anthony Butler
Submit guest columns: freepress2@ntelos.net
As a Baptist minister from Nebraska (born in Louisiana), I have watched from the pulpit as three formative events profoundly reshaped America’s view of its destiny and possibilities: the 9-11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the recent economic meltdown.
I hoped that last year, life would have been better for my congregants. While standing with millions in Washington, D.C. listening to President Obama’s inaugural address, I reflected on the fact that it heralded an end to the Reagan era: a time in which government was viewed as the problem. Our new President instead promised us that government would be part of the solution – not the whole solution, mind you – but a critical part, including setting new rules to ensure that more Americans would have a fair shake. Continue reading “Why abortion is the wrong fight in the health-care debate” »
Keep religion out of health-care reform
Column by M. Patricia West
Elected officials’ religious views should be their own private affair, neither imposed by them upon the nation, nor imposed by the nation as condition to holding public office. This means their private religious views should not be imposed via the current debate over health-care reform.
Important life decisions are responsibilities of individuals and families, not of government or religious groups. On that, most of us can agree. There is also a strong history of separation of church and state in America, and one of our founding principles is of freedom from religious intolerance. That’s why I was deeply offended when Roman Catholic Church bishops lobbied Congress on health-care reform in order to deny millions of women access to abortion. Continue reading “Keep religion out of health-care reform” »
McDonnell’s line in the sand
The Bob McDonnell campaign isn’t taking the attention being placed on its candidate’s record on women’s reproductive freedoms very well, and for good reason.
“Bob McDonnell has also made his priorities clear: He would restrict womens’ access to safe birth control and roll back a woman’s right to choose,” Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds said in a statement released by the campaign on Monday highlighting the differences between Deeds and McDonnell on the fundamental social issue. Continue reading “McDonnell’s line in the sand” »
Don’t call it a comeback
“Which one of your candidates is the one that fired his campaign manager?”
I happened to be standing at the Staunton-Augusta Democratic Party booth at the Augusta County Fair last week when that question was directed at a volunteer. The reference was to a report from University of Virginia politics professor Larry Sabato from earlier in the week that had the Creigh Deeds campaign quietly taking control of the campaign from campaign manager Joe Abbey citing issues with the direction of the campaign. Continue reading “Don’t call it a comeback” »
Valley Dem campaigns could feel heat from Deeds stratagem
So I’m discussing with the campaign manger for a local Democratic House of Delegates candidate the new push from the Creigh Deeds campaign that has the Deeds camp talking up Republican Bob McDonnell’s social-conservative advocacy and ties to controversial televangelist Pat Robertson one afternoon this week, and I’m relating how much I think the move is a sound one, considering how I expect it will take a bite out of McDonnell’s support among moderate voters for a candidate who can come across as a bit of a far-right wingnut on issues like abortion. Continue reading “Valley Dem campaigns could feel heat from Deeds stratagem” »
Deeds camp stakes campaign on reproductive-freedom issue
Do you want as the next governor of Virginia a Pat Robertson ideologue who opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest? Democratic Party nominee Creigh Deeds seems to be staking his candidacy on the notion that most of you don’t.
“My opponent’s rhetoric can be confusing. One day, he says his campaign is about jobs, jobs, jobs. The next, he says elections are litmus tests on abortion. But throughout his career, his record and his priorities have been clear. He’s focused on a narrow ideological agenda rather than one that would move Virginia forward,” Deeds said today at the kickoff of the Women for Deeds tour in Annandale, which begins what insiders are saying will be a weeklong push to bring to light distinctions in the approaches of Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell on abortion rights. Continue reading “Deeds camp stakes campaign on reproductive-freedom issue” »
Lindsey Oliver | Every woman should have reproductive choices
When I was 16 I had an abortion. It was both difficult to arrange and pay for. Yet this pivotal event resulted in a lifelong commitment to working towards a world with reproductive justice for everyone. The sad part isn’t that I had an abortion, but that there were so many barriers. Even more disheartening is that I know I am not the only person who lacks access to a safe and legal abortion. Continue reading “Lindsey Oliver | Every woman should have reproductive choices” »
The 100 Percenters
All four Republican incumbents running for re-election in the Augusta Free Press/New Dominion Magazine reader/circulation area received 100 percent scores on The Family Foundation Action’s 2008-2009 General Assembly Report Card. Continue reading “The 100 Percenters” »
Ken Plum: Protecting the health of women
Posted by afp on September 7, 2011 · 1 Comment
Ironically the individuals who are supporting the regulation of health clinics are for the most part opponents of government regulations. They are advocates of less government. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its wide ranging authority to issue regulations for clean air and water and environmental protection is often the subject of their wrath. At the same time that regulations to ensure that your water is safe to drink and that air pollution be cleaned up are being challenged as being anti-business and government intrusion, stiff regulations to protect women from unspecified health damages while reducing their access to a legal medical procedure are being advanced.
Governor McDonnell who signed the bill requiring the regulations will review them before they become effective, but he is not expected to change them in any way to reduce their impact. Emergency regulations are effective for one year while new regulations are written. Given the appointees by Governor McDonnell to the State Board of Health, the more permanent regulations are not likely to be less stringent. Adoption of permanent regulations will provide a required opportunity for public comment. The public will have an opportunity to weigh in on whether this expansion of the regulatory authority of big, anti-business government is necessary to protect the health of women, or will the regulations result as many fear in more women’s health being put in jeopardy as they face the most difficult personal decision they will ever have to make.
Ken Plum is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with abortion, ken plum, pro-choice, regulations health clinics abortions virginia, reproductive freedom