Cuccinelli: State can further regulate abortion clinics

[Blue_Tires]

Richmond, Va. --
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has issued a legal opinion that suggests that the state Board of Health has the authority to impose additional regulations on the operation of abortion clinics in Virginia.

Conservative, anti-abortion Republicans for years have sought to pass legislation in the General Assembly that would impose further restrictions on abortion clinics, effectively requiring them to operate under the same regulations as full-fledged hospitals and surgery centers.

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.

Abortion-rights advocates have argued that the legislation has been a thinly veiled attempt to close the state's clinics because many would not be able to afford the cost of complying with the additional regulations.

As a state senator, Cuccinelli, an anti-abortion Republican, supported such legislation, which has in recent years been defeated soundly by the Democrat-dominated Senate Education and Health Committee.

The attorney general's opinion potentially opens the door for the administration of Gov. Bob McDonnell to instruct the state Board of Health to impose similar regulations on the clinics.

The opinion was requested by state Sen. Ralph K. Smith, R-Botetourt.

Cuccinelli concluded the opinion by noting that the regulations may be imposed "so long as the regulations adhere to constitutional limitations" under the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2010/aug/24/cucc24-ar-469730/

[NeedleCast]

1. So Glad I'm Moving out of this state in October

Cuccinelli is a fucking nightmare.

[BonnieJW]

2. You can say that again.

I don't know why this state keeps going back to assholes like this. Remember Jim Gilmore? Talk about a nightmare! Thank God there is a one-term limit in Virginia.

[S_E_Fudd]

10. Yeah thinkin of doing the same thing...

The Cooch was my State Senator so I knew what was coming...

[napi21]

3. I think he's trying to gt an abortion rights case brought up to the

SCOTUS while it's still so right leaning amd get ROE overturrned.

[Winterblues]

5. while it's still so right leaning

You believe it will change in it's leanings? Not if Obama has anything to do with it, IMO. He is way too sensitive to being labeled a Liberal and will ONLY nominate someone Center to Center-Right, and that will NEVER change the way the Court leans..The ONLY thing that could change it is if one of the Right wingers were to either die or become incapacitated in some manner..and Bush* was good at picking them very young..

[dtotire]

4. When does his term end?? n/t

[bpj62]

9. Term Limits

Virginia has no term limits on Attorney General or Lt. Governor. Ken Cuccinelli has made it clear that he intends to be Attorney General for life in Virginia. This man is very frightening. I blame the entire Virginia Democratic for this mess. They failed to get good candidates for any of the statewide offices and now we have the second coming of Jim Gilmore as Governor and quite frankly Ken Cuccinelli reminds of the character that Martin Sheen played in the "Dead Zone". This man never practiced law in his life yet somehow the citizens of Virginia overlooked that and now he is issuing Fatwas like he is Julius Cesar. He scares the piss out of me.

[uncommon]

6. It seems so harmless if you don't think about it.

But you are absolutely right - this would limit too many women's access to abortion.

[Sal Minella]

7. I will never understand why rich old men delight so much in trying to force

poor young women to have babies they know they can't afford to raise decently.

Why this compulsion to add so heavily to the sum of human misery???

[williesgirl]

8. Our right wingnuts are dancing in the streets over this. What an embarrassment he and our asshole

Gov. are to VA. Talk about taking the state back 40 years or so in just one term. I shudder to think what else he's working on. rec'd

[Canuckistanian]

11. This Cuccinelli is real piece of work, isn't he?

He's had this position since January and already he's made SEVERAL headlines with his hardline extremist actions.

Virginians have my sympathies.