Thursday, October 18, 2012

Virginia Health Commissioner Resigns Over GOP Backed Abortion Regulations

With the 2012 election just weeks away, the resignation of Dr. Karen Remley (pictured at left), Commissioner of the Virginia Board of Health over the anti-abortion regulations forced through by Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli, Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and the GOP extremists in the General Assembly ought to be a wake up call to Virginia's women of what lies ahead for them if Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and George Allen are swept into office.   Never mind that what the GOP extremists and their flat earth religious fanatic supporters at The Family Foundation claim about "abortion clinics."  These operations do much more than perform abortions, including assisting women with contraception and medical issues.  Yet, the GOP and The Family Foundation are out to shut them down completely.  If women in Virginia want to make decisions about their own bodies, they'd best wake up and vote a straight Democrat ticket on November 6th.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:


Dr. Karen Remley has resigned as Virginia’s Health Commissioner over the adoption of controversial abortion clinic regulations, explaining in a letter to colleagues that “I can no longer in good faith continue in my role.”

Remley alerted members of the health and medical communities of her decision by email and conveyed a resignation letter to Gov. Bob McDonnell. In each letter, she expressed chagrin about the legal atmosphere surrounding the development of the clinic licensing standards.

“Unfortunately, how specific sections of the Virginia Code pertaining to the development and enforcement of these regulations have been and continue to be interpreted has created an environment in which my ability to fulfill my duties is compromised and I can no longer in good faith continue in my role,” she wrote.

The state Board of Health last month approved a revised set of regulations that would hold Virginia's 20 abortion clinics to hospital-like architectural standards.  In taking that action, the board reversed a decision it made in June, when members voted to exempt existing clinics from those standards.

The panel did so after ardently anti-abortion Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in July refused to certify that version of the proposed rules, saying the board had exceeding its authority to create an exemption.

And just days before September's board meeting, Cuccinelli's office issued a memo warning members they could be denied state legal counsel and have to pay for their own defense if they again disregard his advice about relaxing controversial abortion clinic rules and litigation ensues.
 
[C]linic operators and abortion rights advocates argue that the law unfairly singles out one type of medical practice but doesn't hold out facilities where outpatient surgical procedures are done to similar standards.  They believe its underlying goal is to put clinics out of business by saddling them with tens of thousands in renovation costs to meet the new architectural guidelines.
Again, if women want Ken Cuccinelli, Victoria Cobb, George Allen, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan making your personal health decisions, vote Republican.  If on the other hand, you find that prospect, vote Democrat across the board.

 

No comments: