Virginia votes to regulate abortion clinics

RICHMOND, Va. — Legislators voted Thursday to make Virginia the first state to require clinics that provide first-trimester abortions to meet the same standards as hospitals.
The Senate deadlocked on the issue, and Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling cast the tie-breaking vote after hours of floor debate.
Del. Kathy Byron, R-Campbell, tacked the amendment onto a Senate bill that dealt with infection prevention and disaster preparedness at hospitals and nursing homes. Doing so allowed the bill to sidestep a Senate committee notorious for killing anti-abortion legislation and force a vote on the Senate floor, where Democrats hold a tiny majority.
Two anti-abortion Democrats — Sens. Chuck Colgan of Prince William and Phillip Puckett of Russell County, voted with Republicans to approve the measure.
The bill requires all facilities that perform five or more first-trimester abortions each month to be categorized as hospitals, which are subject to strict guidelines regarding everything from the structural layout, staffing and equipment to how laundry is done and food is served.