Virginia AG Says Abortion Clinics Aren’t Bound By Stricter Building Standards
Mark Herring's opinion reverses that of the state's previous Republican attorney general and will likely put the abortion debate back on the front burner in Virginia. Meanwhile, the case of an Indiana woman convicted of feticide after self-aborting is raising questions about women's reproductive rights and abortion.
The Associated Press:
Herring: Abortion Clinics Can Be Exempted From New Standards
New, strict building standards should not be applied retroactively to existing abortion clinics, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said Monday in an opinion contradicting advice given by his Republican predecessor. The new standards would treat abortion clinics like hospitals and cover issues such as hallway widths, closet sizes and covered entrances. Staff for former Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told state health officials during his tenure that abortion clinics must abide by the new rules. Herring now says that was bad advice and would essentially shut down abortion services in the state. (Suderman and O'Dell, 5/4)
The Washington Post:
Va. Attorney General Gives Abortion Rights Advocates A Boost
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) sided Monday with abortion rights advocates seeking to free clinics from strict, hospital-style building standards, issuing a legal opinion that whipped up those on both sides of the polarizing issue. Herring’s action reverses an opinion from his Republican predecessor, Ken Cuccinelli II, and put an issue that has long divided lawmakers back on the front burner. The advisory opinion has no immediate effect on clinics currently operating, but it could influence the state Board of Health when members consider an overhaul of rules. (Portnoy and Vozzella, 5/4)
Indianapolis Star/USA Today:
Ind. Woman's Sentence For Self-Abortion Draws Scrutiny
On Feb. 3, [Purvi] Patel became the first Indiana woman to be convicted of feticide in connection with her own miscarriage. Legal experts say her 20-year sentence for feticide and neglect of a dependent is one of the most severe penalties an American woman has faced for aborting her own pregnancy. Anti-abortion activists have shown little interest in the case. But Patel's feticide conviction under a state statute adopted in 1979 to fight illegal abortion clinics is raising questions among legal scholars, medical examiners and women's rights advocates about how much control women should have during their pregnancies, and whether they can be held criminally responsible when something goes wrong. (Disis, 5/3)
And troubling long-term data on complications related to an implanted contraceptive device is published after an unusual eight-year delay -
The New York Times:
Long-Term Data On Complications Adds To Criticism Of Contraceptive Implant
When a new contraceptive implant came on the market over a decade ago, it was considered a breakthrough for women who did not want to have more children, a sterilization procedure that could be done in a doctor’s office in just 10 minutes. Now, 13 years later, thousands of women who claim they were seriously injured by the implant are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take the device off the market and to warn the public about its complications. (Rabin, 5/3)
