As unethical and disgusting as it may be, one has to hand it to them. It's a brilliant scheme. Republicans in the Indiana House of Representatives have devised a sneaky bill that would result in the closing of all nine of Indiana's abortion clinics.
House Bill 1080 sets strict rules on the layout of abortion clinics.
According to a Feb. 2 Indianapolis Star article, "The standards include rules about the clinics' entry ways and waiting areas, and they require a restroom and drinking fountain. The bill dictates the size and location of procedure rooms and the space that must be available around recovery carts."
No big deal, right? So new abortion clinics have some specific guidelines to follow when they are being built. Wrong.
The bill demands that all abortion clinics meet these new standards. Instead of grandfathering in existing clinics - as is normal to do when new building codes are passed - the state will force existing clinics to abide by these impossible standards. Basically, in order for clinics to be in compliance, they are going to have to be completely remodeled - something they cannot afford.
This is a wild deviation from the norm. Other health care providers are not required to meet such a standard. In other cases, existing buildings are given deferments until they relocate or remodel.
And this bill's backers have the gall to insist the bill is about protecting women's health.
"This is not intended to close down abortion clinics," Rep. Marlin Stutzman said. "It is to make sure that when a pregnant woman goes in and makes this decision that she is protected."
How unprincipled can you get? He knows the law will close clinics. Planned Parenthood has gone on record saying that it will. Rep. Peggy Welch, someone who actually has ethics, said, "As much as I would like to see clinics close, it was not my goal to use a clinic-regulation bill to do that."
This is not about women's health. Women's health is not endangered in Indiana abortion clinics. First, according to the Indiana State Department of Health and the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana Web site, first trimester abortions have a complication rate of less than one-half of one percent. Second, clinics are already thoroughly regulated. In 2005, the State Department of Health developed 38 pages of regulations for clinics to meet.
Thus far, the bill has passed through the House, with a 60-38 vote. It's now in the state Senate.
Should the bill pass, it will not be Game Over just yet. Planned Parenthood has said it will sue, and a legal battle will ensue.
The hideously ironic aspect of this bill is that, in reality, it does the exact opposite of what its proponents claim it's meant to do. It's within the health interests of a woman to be able to obtain a safe, legal abortion.
Abortion will always occur whether it is legal or not, but an increase in illegal abortions will yield many more serious health complications and deaths.
I have never heard a decent response to the back-alley clinic argument - it has only been ignored. My only conclusion is that the activists who support criminalization of abortion do not really care about women who suffer from back-alley abortions. They think the women are getting what they deserve for murdering their children.
That attitude is even uglier than HB 1080.
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