Progress Virginia Denounces Family Foundation’s Delay Tactics on New Abortion Rules

Richmond, VA – Progress Virginia, the commonwealth’s leading voice for progressive values, this afternoon denounced new steps taken by arch-right Family Foundation to stop fixes to Virginia’s sham restrictions on abortion providers from going into effect.

In October, the Virginia Board of Health approved amendments to state regulations to reflect scientific evidence and the guidance of medical professionals, repealing provisions motivated only by political ideology. The sham restrictions were first enacted in 2012 and designed to shut down access to first trimester abortion in the Commonwealth. The United States Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that state laws that inhibit women’s access to safe and legal abortion must provide a commensurate medical benefit. Virginia’s sham restrictions, which single out first trimester abortion providers for a level of regulation not applied to like medical providers, do no such thing.

“Politicians have no business interfering in women’s private health care decisions, but that’s exactly what theFamily Foundation is pushing,” said Progress Virginia executive director Anna Scholl. “Make no mistake, these right wingers have zero interest in women’s health and safety. The Family Foundation has a long history of colluding with archconservatives to push a radical agenda designed to limit women’s access to abortion and contraception, from transvaginal ultrasounds to extreme personhood legislation. It’s no surprise these are the same people who want to monitor bathroom usage and use government funds to discriminate against LGBT Virginians. This ridiculous appeal is yet another frivolous attack by out of touch extremists to try to end access to safe and legal abortion in Virginia.”

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