Numerous Abortion Clinics Closing Nationwide in Wake of New Restrictive State Laws
Photo Credit: LifeSiteNewsDozens of clinics could close in wake of Texas law, say abortion supporters
By John Jalsevac. Opponents of Texas’ late-term abortion ban bill, which passed the state Senate Friday evening after heated debate, say they fear that the legislation could lead to the closure of dozens of clinics in the state.
In addition to banning abortions after 20 weeks, the bill also mandates that clinics meet the same safety standards as outpatient surgical centers. Currently 37 of the state’s 42 clinics fail to the meet these standards, meaning they will be required to make costly updates to their buildings, such as installing wider hallways, showers, and backup generators.
Sen. Wendy Davis, who famously filibustered the first version of the bill last month, lamented in an op-ed on CNN last week that the bill “would close down almost 90 percent of the women’s clinics in this state.”
Dr. Howard Novick, who owns an abortion facility in Houston, told the Associated Press that he estimates it will cost between $1 and $1.5 million to update his facility – money that he says he doesn’t have.
Hagstrom Miller, the CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, cited similar figures, saying it would cost an estimated $1.4 million to update their McAllen facility, which she says she cannot afford. She adds that another facility she runs in Beaumont would also have to close. Read more from this story HERE.
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Photo Credit: Townhall‘Busiest’ Abortion Clinic in Virginia Closes Up Shop
By Cortney O’Brien. NOVA Women’s Healthcare of Fairfax County was one of the largest and most frequented abortion clinics in the state of Virginia. It performed more abortions than any other provider in the Old Dominion in the last few years, including 3,066 in 2012 alone. But, thanks to new abortion regulations in the state and a denied permit, it has seen its last patient.
It’s speculated that new Virginia regulations which require clinics to meet new hospital-grade standards had forced NOVA to find a new location. The clinic never got the chance though, for the city denied its permit for being one parking space short of city laws and therefore forced the business to close its doors.
NOVA is one of many clinics affected by new abortion regulations sweeping across the country. In Texas, the state legislature successfully passed HB2, which bans abortion after 20 weeks and requires an abortionist to have admitting privileges to a surgical center within 30 miles of the abortion clinic. Thirty-seven of the state’s 42 clinics fail to meet these standards and are therefore likely to be shuttered. Read more from this story HERE.
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Vomiting Patients at Northern Va. Abortion Clinic a Near ‘Daily Occurrence’; WashPost Buries Charge Deep in Story
By Ken Shepherd. “Abortion center closes after run of difficulties” lamented a Washington Post headline on the front page of the July 15 edition’s Metro section. “New regulations hamper relocation effort,” a subheadline for staff writer Tom Jackman’s story noted.
But deep in his 20-paragraph story, Jackman noted that the Fairfax City, Va., clinic, Nova Women’s Healthcare, was sued in late 2011 and that court documents in that suit referred to sick patients “lying down in corridors… and, in some instances, even vomiting.” In the 16th paragraph of his story, Jackman admitted that “One filing said witnesses would testify that this was a daily occurrence.” Virginia’s new abortion clinic regulations did not take full effect until June of this year.
A few paragraphs later, Jackman noted that, “In April, [Nova’s landlord] Eaton Place sued Nova in Fairfax General District Court for failure to pay $95,000 in back rent. In June, Nova agreed to pay the back rent and surrender the space, court records show.” Read more from this story HERE.
