The Right Wing extremists are all howling with delight over their boy Ken Cuccinelli socking it to them thar femi-nazis…..the pro-aborts. It must be full moon. Let’s take a look at what their glee is over:
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has given a ruling that has the potential of skirting around legislation that the General Assembly as refused to enact since the early 1980’s. Attorney generals’ opinions are not legally binding, as court rulings are.
According to WTOP.com:
But on Monday, Del. Robert G. Marshall of Prince William, one of two outspoken legislative opponents of abortion rights who had sought Cuccinelli’s opinion on clinic regulations, asked Gov. Bob McDonnell to swiftly implement Cuccinelli’s findings. McDonnell is a fellow Republican and abortion foe.
The other, state Sen. Ralph Smith of Roanoke, wrote last week that the opinion “sets the stage for regulating abortion clinics like other medical facilities.”
McDonnell chief spokesman J. Tucker Martin said the governor had just received the opinion and is reviewing it, but noted that McDonnell believes abortion clinics should be regulated as outpatient surgery facilities already are.
Currently, clinics where first trimester abortions are performed operate as outpatient facilities and must abide by the same regulations as other outpatient facilities. Cuccinelli decrees that Virginia can require abortion facilities to function more as a surgery center. The Richmond Times Dispatch states:
Currently, doctors working at a clinic must be licensed by the state Board of Medicine, but clinics themselves handling abortions in the first trimester are considered “physicians offices” — places where some surgical procedures may be performed, such as a plastic surgeon’s office. Abortions after the first trimester must be performed in licensed hospitals.
The ball is now in Governor McDonnell’s court. He can direct the Virginia state board of health to require first trimester abortion clinics set up as surgery units. If he choses to do that, there will be a legal challenge. Virginia will have law suits coming at it from all sides.
Ken Cuccinelli appears to be Delegate Bob Marshall’s puppet. Bob asks and Ken comes back with a legal opinion. Marshall wants to outlaw all birth control. Abortion is just the tip of the iceberg. Cuccinelli, Marshall, and a host of other anti-abortion zealots failed to enact legislation that would regulate clinics, so this is just a typical end run to get around their inability to get legislation passed to take an even bigger chunk out of abortion rights.
The pro-choice folks weighed in, as expected. The Times Dispatch quotes several spokeswomen:
“This is basically an effort to use his executive power to push through a political agenda that he was unable to achieve through the democratic process,” said Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, an abortion rights advocacy group.
Jessica Honke, the director of public policy at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said she agrees that Virginia can regulate all medical facilities, including abortion clinics.
“But if they use the opinion to impose an agenda that singles out one medical procedure that interferes with women’s rights to health care, we will have objections to that,” she said.
McDonnell is probably getting sick of Cuccinelli painting him in a corner. McDonnell pledged to govern from the center. It will be interesting to see what happens. The anti-choicers are all puffed up and ready to take up the sword. There is a much simpler solution. Opposed to abortion? Don’t have one or cause anyone else to have one. It’s just one of those libertarian ideas.
Where are all those second amendment right people? Don’t let the government touch your guns but controlling a womans body is acceptable? A woman who does not control her body controls nothing. These are clinics that operate first trimester abortions. You know what though MH, a new abortion pill has just been approved so hopefully women will be able to deal with this difficult decision in complete privacy and Cuccinelli and Marshall will no longer be able to interfere with women and their most precious personal liberty.
Funny how some rant about having less regulation, but to get what they want, they will bring in regulation and the bureaucracy around it.
Talk about going back to the coat hanger – and the wealthy will still be able to have an abortion by going out of district to receive one, so who suffers.
Without these clinics, which provide education and birth control to prevent abortions, there would be even more abortions.
At citizen time during the last city council meeting several people spoke against the clinic in Manassas, and implied that abortion causes breast cancer — a myth that was broadcast, unchallenged, to a wide audience.
If only these well-meaning people would spent half as much energy on seeing that all women and girls receive education, health care and births without all the medical intervention (pitocin to induce, epidurals to deaden natural labor, cesareans to fit with mothers/doctors/hospitals/insurance schedules). Work to bring a birth center to Manassas where women can be attended by midwives and doulas. Sponsor self-defense courses for women to prevent rapes. Raise women up instead of trying to oppress them.
Enough of the fear and intimidation coming from legislators and attorney general.
Well said, Cindy.
Go Cindy!!!!
Yes, great comment Cindy, but what even by a S-t-r-e-t-ch does it have anything to do with Cuccinelli’s opinion on a matter of law, to wit, this medical procedure may be regulated as to the standards required for its administration — “so long as the regulations adhere to constitutional limitations as articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Greenville Women’s Clinic v. Bryant. The court said that state regulations that do not interfere with the woman’s status as the ultimate decisionmaker, that serve “a valid purpose,” and that do not “strike at the [abortion] right itself,” are valid regulations.
.
C’mon TP. I think all want the procedure to be safe. Cooch’s is merely further is anti-choice agenda and nothing more.
TP, she said it because she had an important point to make. Certain people, including a councilman, have been spearheading efforts to have more regulations placed on the local cliinic. Their efforts have been thwarted because VA is a Dillion Rule state and therefore they must abide by state regulation.
So the simple approach is to tighten up the state regs, according to Kookoonelli. What he is saying is that Virginia can take draconian measures to throw hospital regulations into an arena that has heretofore been using outpatient regulations. (like podiatrists, oral surgeons, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, etc.)
Second trimester abortions do have to adhere to stricter standards and no one has a problem with that because the procedure has become more medically complicated. However, for trimester 1 abortions, (96% of all abortions are trimester 1) excessive regulation drives the cost up exponentially.
Pat brings up an excellent point about regulation. For people who want the government out of people’s business, anti choice people sure rush in to have government right there in your bedroom at all stages of life.
Cindy also brings up excellent points. Cindy, you may say anything you wish on this topic. Have at it. She also brings up all the myths that anti-choice advocates lie about to advance their cause.
Time for Lafayette to post Bobby Marshall spewing his MALE point of view about love canals and frat boys. How is Judie Brown doing these days, Bobby?
If the Manassas Clinic demonstrators really cared about life, they would have gone along with Chief Skinner’s recommendations about signage and demonstrators along Sudley Road rather than fighting him. First amendment? Gotta be more important than preventing accidents right there in front of where Amethyst Clinic is located.
Most of us have seen some potentially serious accidents along there because people are looking at demonstrators rather than where they are going.
I wouldn’t allow either pro-choice or anti-choice people demonstrate out there along that stretch of road. Of course, I have heard from the horse’s mouth that the anti choice protestors are free advertisement for that clinic. Everyone knows where it is because of the demonstrators. Doh.
And this from the people who want the Government to be the monopoly provider of alcohol to protect us and the state’s revenues, so now we are opposed to some – what – some incremental level of of regulation and a higher level of medical technology to be present at an abortion? Wow. Fear of that slippery slope has you paranoid.
Good. Now when I say Corey Stewart is a Nazi, everyone will know the spirit in which I say it.
We have soup-Nazis, Lawn Nazis, Nursing Nazis…Obama is a Nazi…common vernacular–not that it’s a good thing coming from someone in leadership or in the government. Makes us look like extremist-Nazis.
@cindy b
Well said, Cindy. I would like to add adoption reform to your list. Right now, adoption is NOT an option for most people. Too expensive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6k4RrKNk7s
Good ole frat boys and love canals. Geesh!!
@Posting as Pinko
You left out the Neighborhood Nazis. 😉
@Lafayette
Yeah. They are related to Lawn Nazis. Lawn Nazis persecute people with brown grass, even in the summer.
Nursing Nazis are also known as Lactation Nazis. Don’t ever admit to a Nursing Nazi that you bottle feed your baby.
TP, no, it isn’t fear. It is over regulation that adds costs to a procedure that is unnecessary. It is an attempt to make abortion unattainable to most women via cost since the anti choice zealots are unable to access to abortion any other way.
As for liquor, I don’t see any link between the sale of alcohol and abortion. Do you want the state to become an abortion provider? I don’t. Nor do I want them making the only place one can get a first trimester abortion in a hospital setting with all the certifications of a hospital setting.
Moon, I would aslo add these increase costs could very well cause closing of some of the only 19 facilities in The Commonwealth. Only zealots would be fooled by zealot Coochy.
Pat.Herve, yes, regulation has become a favorite ploy to force a particular religious/moral view on the rest of us heathens – particularly women. I don’t hear the drumbeat about the dangers of dermatology, oral surgery, allergy testing, plastic surgery. My sister started into shock in an allergist’s office. Getting a skin prick can be a damn dangerous procedure, it seems.
Do you think the brouhaha could be related to the fact that only women have abortions and men can have face peels, Lasik surgery, or root canals. (Lafayette, I said the “canal” word in Side-show Bob’s honor!) Naaahhhhh…..
I see that the City of Manassas for all it’s good points (good restaurants, nice festivals, VRE convenience) continues, at a point where there is commercial space going begging, residential property values stalling, and a still lingering stench of anti-immigrant hysteria – remember the definition of “family” – continues to take aim at its foot by plugging yet another wingnut agenda. I guess being known for the Bobbitts, the sign, and the brouhaha over the massage parlor wasn’t enough. Let’s bring on a witch trial over women’s health!! That should make the investment dollars roll in.
If the clinic becomes further regulated, I’ll have to explain to Charles and Wanda that although I love his food and her clothes, I’ll no longer patronize their establishments – and that’s a big sacrifice on my part.
Restraunts that serve alcohol made the same arguements (both heavy handed regulation and the cost of upgrades to the business would affect consumers) and still the State went forward with regulating smoking within a private establishment.
If they could do that, I don’t really see how they couldn’t regulate an abortion clinic like they could any other medical center.
I’m set against govt regulation where it doesn’t need to be but if we opened up pandora’s box with regulating smoking in private establishments I don’t see why the govt couldn’t do the same with abortions. To Elena’s first comment (btw, BRILLIANT! — and I mean that) when we allow regulation of one right like speech or guns or whatever it erodes the other rights we enjoy. I’ve said in numerous threads that if you can regulate a gun you can regulate a marriage, an abortion or as healthcare reform may ultimatly show us…who a woman may be obligated to mate with in order to provide the State with the child it desires.
TP does have a point about state liquor sales. It’s actually a clever angle.
You’ll probably start hearing the words… “reasonable regulations” WRT abortions pretty soon. Least that’s how I see it playing out.
This decision is one that belongs at the federal and state level.
Local governments in Virginia (a Dillon Rule state) simply don’t
have the authority or means to regulate abortion clinics.
@Big Dog
Apparantly they do – until someone like you challenges the Cucc in court. As for me, I’ll bet on Ken’s legal prowness – again.
@PWC Taxpayer
Bwahahahaha!! Glad to Cooch’s fan club is on the scene. Don’t bet too much…you’ll loose!
From the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, a Legislative Leader Breakfast:
Meet Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuchinelli on Thursday, September 9 from 8:00-9:30am at Old Hickory Golf Club, 11921 Chanceford Drive in Prince William, Series Sponsor: Washington Gas Corporate Sponsor: NOVEC Host Sponsor: Micron Technology
Hear from Virginia’s Attorney General on a range of issues and state initiatives that impact the way we work, live and do business in Prince William. Also featuring Q&A! Cost is $25/members; $35/nonmembers. RSVP via email to Diana Tringali at [email protected] or call (703) 590-5000 x 103.
Kook will neither win or lose but McDonnell could start his swan song by acting on Kook’s opinion. Kook and Marshall really put McDonnell the moderate in the hot seat.
From NARAL Pro-choice America:
Abortion providers in Virginia are already regulated and held to high state and federal standards, and legal abortion is among the safest medical procedures in the United States. This new policy would single out abortion clinics and burden them with onerous and unnecessary restrictions that could force them to close their doors to women.
This move has nothing to do with upholding the law or protecting women’s health, and everything to do with politics. Attorney General Cuccinelli is trying to accomplish through the brute force of executive power what he couldn’t accomplish through the democratic process in his time as a state senator – restricting women’s access to reproductive-health care by shutting down abortion providers. These targeted regulations of abortion providers (TRAP) laws have nothing to do with safety and have everything to do with ideology.
So what does this mean for women in Virginia? Virginia currently has 21 abortion providers but if the Board of Health chooses to follow this opinion and forces clinics to jump through unnecessary regulatory hoops in order to stay open, 17 of those could be forced to stop providing abortion services or shut down altogether. This comes at a time when 86 percent of Virginia counties already do not have an abortion provider!
Abortion providers in Virginia are already regulated in the same way as other medical facilities that provide outpatient procedures. This opinion is clearly a solution in search of a problem, and a blatant attempt to chip away at women’s ability to access reproductive-health care.
I will be in Temple that day Cindy for Roshashana or else I would be there, asking lots of questions! Thanks for the information!
According to the WaPo’s website, the Cooch Caravan is picking
up speed – today he opined that religious symbols may
indeed be placed on public property. This was an answer
to a Bob Marshal generated question about the conflict in
Loudoun County over use of the Courthouse Lawn in Leesburg.
Glad Virginia has a surplus – we may need it for legal fees.
Yeah, Big Dog, Cuccinelli is going to cost the state much more than the $350 filing fee he mentioned.
Virginians should have known what they were voting for. Kook is about as extreme as it gets. Of course, so is Bobby Marshall and Prince William County people continue to vote for him.