I oppose abortion. However, I feel that any facility offering such medical procedures in the Commonwealth of VA must meet basic standards of medical sanitation and safety. There would rightly be public outcry and suits filed if a hospital were so lax in its cleanliness and safety standards as Virginia inspectors have found various abortion centers to be. Blood-stained tables and medical equipment were found in more than one location during inspections last year. There is absolutely no excuse for such deplorable conditions. Patients' lives literally depend on doctors and staff knowing and following good sanitation practice as an absolute minimum. Abortion centers offer serious, risky medical procedures and therefore should be required to follow reasonable cleanliness and safety regulations.

Many people criticize this legislation because of the expensive construction upgrades it would require at various facilities, but they completely ignore the larger issue of negligence that this legislation stands to address. Women deserve this much! It's shocking that this issue even needs to be discussed--such regulations should have been implemented decades ago. To insist that basic safety regulations are unfair and unnecessary exposes a bizarre disregard for women's welfare that directly contradicts the claimed values of those who so vocally support the abortion industry. Let's stop the double standard and make a step that really IS good for women.