Bill threatens majority of Va. abortion clinics

All but one Planned Parenthood in Virginia might cease performing abortions, should a proposed House bill pass.

The bill requires medical centers not in compliance with ambulatory medical standards to shut down abortion services.

“It’s cruel. It’s silly. It’s special regulations, and it’s meant for one thing – (to) drive people out of doing abortions,” said Karen Raschke, senior adviser for the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood. “There’s nothing about better health care in this. There’s nothing about safety.”

Raschke estimates only one Planned Parenthood in Virginia, which is located in Charlottesville, meets ambulatory medical standards. Ambulatory medical standards include hallway width requirements, parking lot size requirements and regulating airflow quality, Raschke said.

Stephen Braunlich, chair of Young Pro-Life Virginia’s board, said the bill is a positive step toward making clinics safer in Virginia.

“Medical standards should be enforced,” Braunlich said. “I think they’re trying to make this a political issue . I think they (Planned Parenthood) are also threatened, because it would require them to change some of their facilities to meet these standards. There’s a financial side to it for them, as well.”

Liz Canfield is a full-time English instructor and professor of women’s studies at VCU.

“I think that certainly there’s a grave danger to women’s health in general because Planned Parenthood is one of the most common providers for abortions,” Canfield said. “We start thinking about these things, and how it might take us back to a pre-Roe v. Wade society.”

The bill’s sponsor, Delegate Robert G. Marshall, R-Manassas, also submitted a bill – which was killed – that aimed to make some forms of contraception illegal in Virginia.

“It’s a good idea to say what the hell you believe and not be ashamed of it,” Marshall said, according to reports in the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Raschke said Marshall is a pro-life activist who campaigned in the early ’90s by distributing pamphlets titled, “Pro-Life Precinct Power.” Marshall has proposed similar, failed legislation in past sessions.

Raschke said the suggested requirements are unnecessary for a Planned Parenthood clinic, and the proposed legislation has little to do with public safety.

“If legislatures really want to do something for safety, we recommend they look at prevention,” Raschke said. “Less than 9 percent of what we do is perform abortions . (And yet) because we do abortions, legislation would require us to completely tear down and rebuild our facilities.”