Virginia to Regulate Abortion Clinics

The Virginia Senate has approved a measure to regulate abortion clinics like hospitals, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

Gov. Bob McDonnell has said he would sign the bill, calling it a “clinic safety issue.”

"It's still going to have to be reviewed to see if there are any legal issues that need to be addressed," he said to reporters. "But I think it's fair to say that all outpatient surgical hospitals or clinics should be regulated in the same way, and I think this bill will do that."

For years, anti-abortion activists have tried to have similar measures passed, only for them to be killed by Democrats. The passage of this measure is a significant victory, the newspaper said.

State Sen. John Watkins, Powhatan Republican, said the law doesn’t place "any undue burden" on the ability of a woman to get an abortion in the state.

"This is all about the quality-of-care issue — this is all about patient health and patient safety."