Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-3 against abortion clinic health and safety regulations in Texas. Justice Stephen Breyer’s opinion in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt will continue to allow substandard and dangerous abortion clinics to operate throughout the country.
The majority opinion cited reasonable health regulations as an “undue burden” on women’s health because many Texas abortion clinics will close after failing to meet basic health and safety standards.
Today’s decision is disappointing, but unsurprising. Abortion advocates routinely talk about women’s health, but repeated evidence shows how they will look the other way when it comes to dirty and dangerous abortion businesses.
The case centered on two provisions of Texas state law. The first requires abortionists to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. The second regulates Texas abortion clinics as ambulatory surgical centers.
Hospital admitting privileges are necessary to provide a continuum of care for women who experience botched abortions. The abortion industry objects to the rule because some hospitals refuse to grant privileges to abortionists with a history of substandard and unprofessional care.
Ambulatory surgical centers are defined in Texas law as facilities that operate primarily to provide surgical services to patients who do not require overnight hospital care. Surgical abortion clinics plainly meet that definition and should not receive special treatment because of their political status. These are simple regulations that ought to be unobjectionable, like having hallways wide enough to fit a stretcher through and making sure surgical rooms are properly sterilized.
The practical effect of Justice Breyer’s opinion is that dangerous and unsanitary clinics must be allowed to continue operating if there are no other abortion clinics nearby. Five justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are now in charge of health regulations at abortion clinics, not state regulators.
Numerous cases in recent memory show how a lack of regulatory oversight puts the health of women in danger. In the case of abortionist and convicted murderer Kermit Gosnell, Pennsylvania authorities allowed Gosnell to operate on women in filthy conditions for years. This negligent atmosphere directly led to the death of one of Gosnell’s patients, Karnamaya Mongar. Emergency medical technicians were unable to navigate her stretcher through Gosnell’s clinic following a botched abortion.
Many states have experienced similar problems, including Michigan. City of Muskegon officials closed Women's Medical Services in 2012 after discovering unsterilized medical equipment, improper disposal of syringes, numerous leaks in the roof and widespread general filth. If veterinary clinics were allowed to operate like that, there would be public outrage. Why do abortion clinics get special treatment?
Michigan’s Bureau of Health Systems (BHS) conducted only three onsite surveys of abortion clinics from 2007 to 2009. BHS cited all three for noncompliance with state surgical facility requirements regarding equipment sterilization, maintenance of a sterile environment, and sterile pre-op handwashing. All three continued operating despite unsafe conditions.
Justice Breyer’s decision relied heavily on statistics from abortion clinics to substitute his own judgement for that of state regulators. In Michigan, however, abortion clinics routinely fail to report patients’ complications, including even patient deaths.
Right to Life of Michigan compiled an in-depth report at the beginning of 2012 showing multiple abuses by the abortion industry in the state, as well as state regulatory failures. Michigan began reform efforts to address these serious problems on December 28, 2012 with passage of the Prolife Omnibus Act.
How many more women have to be subjected to unsafe and unsanitary conditions in abortion clinics before pro-abortion justices and officials will do something about it?
Monday, June 27, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016
Michigan abortionist charged for possessing stolen drugs, identity theft
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| Abortionist Michael Roth |
After a car accident, authorities discovered the drugs in his car.
According to the press release, another abortionist who Roth sometimes worked for had drugs stolen from his abortion clinic in 2014.
Medical records indicate that Roth sometimes worked out of Dr. Ojeda’s clinic. Dr. Ojeda and the women whose names were listed on the prescriptions alleged they had no knowledge of the prescriptions. Dr. Ojeda also stated that a large amount of Fentanyl was stolen from his office in December 2014. When interviewed, Ojeda stated he had never given Roth permission to have Fentanyl or Ciprofloxacin from his clinic, a statement which was corroborated by a clinic employee. A separate medical assistant employed at the Eastland Women’s Center allegedly admitted to stealing medical equipment and medications used in abortions from the clinic for Roth and that he was fully aware the materials were stolen.Other evidence seems to indicate Roth was performing abortions outside the clinic and possibly in the homes of women.
A search warrant was completed on Roth’s home and office. Additional vials of Fentanyl were found at the home. Both the Fentanyl found in the car and in the house were matched to the Fentanyl that was allegedly stolen from the women’s clinic. The search warrant also revealed a large amount of cash with names and what is believed to be pregnancy information attached to each bundle of cash, medical materials such as syringes, disposable scalpels and empty containers similar to the ones filled with post-conception material found in Roth’s car.
Roth was featured in Right to Life of Michigan’s report on Abortion Abuses and State Regulatory Agency Failure. That report noted how Roth received six months probation after performing at least two abortions on a woman in her home, was disciplined for various drug-related violations, violated Michigan's informed consent law and allegedly performed abortions after 24 weeks.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Revisiting our Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act
On December 28, 2012, Michigan came to a fork in the road. Around the same time, California faced a similar choice. In both cases, elections had consequences.
When Obamacare was passed in 2010, supporters claimed it would not force people to pay for abortions or purchase health insurance that covered abortions. Prolife people knew those claims would prove false.
In California, most elected officials are supportive of abortion and did nothing about those concerns. In 2014 the state went the opposite direction by sending a letter to health insurance companies requiring them to include abortion in every insurance plan. Using a decades-old state law, they unilaterally decided the law mysteriously now required abortion to be covered in every health insurance plan.
A federal law (the Weldon Amendment) prevents federal funding from going to states that force health care entities to provide, pay for, or refer for abortions. After two years of considering a complaint from California citizens, yesterday the pro-abortion Obama Administration decided that the Weldon Amendment doesn't apply and California can force health care entities to pay for abortions. They argue every insurance company in the state is complying, so they aren't technically being forced to pay for abortions. Of course.
Other states have had similar problems where all health insurance plans available require abortion coverage. Michigan took the other, more difficult path.
Our Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act originally passed the Legislature, but was vetoed by the governor on December 28, 2012. After months of negotiations, Right to Life of Michigan and our affiliates decided to take the matter to the citizens rather than pass a water-down version.
Using Michigan's unique constitutional process, we came back with more than 316,000 signatures gathered by volunteers. Nine days later the Michigan Legislature passed the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act into law without the governor. Thanks to our law, no health insurance plan in Michigan is required to cover abortions. People who want to purchase insurance coverage for abortion can do so by purchasing a rider with their own dollars.
Abortion supporters made many false claims about the law, including the outlandish claim that women who have miscarriages wouldn't have treatments covered by health insurance. Of course their claims didn't come true.
Thank you for making your voice heard and helping us take the road less traveled!
When Obamacare was passed in 2010, supporters claimed it would not force people to pay for abortions or purchase health insurance that covered abortions. Prolife people knew those claims would prove false.
In California, most elected officials are supportive of abortion and did nothing about those concerns. In 2014 the state went the opposite direction by sending a letter to health insurance companies requiring them to include abortion in every insurance plan. Using a decades-old state law, they unilaterally decided the law mysteriously now required abortion to be covered in every health insurance plan.
A federal law (the Weldon Amendment) prevents federal funding from going to states that force health care entities to provide, pay for, or refer for abortions. After two years of considering a complaint from California citizens, yesterday the pro-abortion Obama Administration decided that the Weldon Amendment doesn't apply and California can force health care entities to pay for abortions. They argue every insurance company in the state is complying, so they aren't technically being forced to pay for abortions. Of course.
Other states have had similar problems where all health insurance plans available require abortion coverage. Michigan took the other, more difficult path.
Our Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act originally passed the Legislature, but was vetoed by the governor on December 28, 2012. After months of negotiations, Right to Life of Michigan and our affiliates decided to take the matter to the citizens rather than pass a water-down version.
Using Michigan's unique constitutional process, we came back with more than 316,000 signatures gathered by volunteers. Nine days later the Michigan Legislature passed the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act into law without the governor. Thanks to our law, no health insurance plan in Michigan is required to cover abortions. People who want to purchase insurance coverage for abortion can do so by purchasing a rider with their own dollars.
Abortion supporters made many false claims about the law, including the outlandish claim that women who have miscarriages wouldn't have treatments covered by health insurance. Of course their claims didn't come true.
Thank you for making your voice heard and helping us take the road less traveled!
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Summer 2016 RLM News is now online
The Summer 2016 issue of the Right to Life of Michigan News is now online.
It includes articles about prolife momentum in Michigan, affiliate activities, the Supreme Court decision which favors the Little Sisters for the Poor and much more.
It includes articles about prolife momentum in Michigan, affiliate activities, the Supreme Court decision which favors the Little Sisters for the Poor and much more.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Right to Life of Michigan applauds Governor Snyder for signing CAPA
On June 8, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law HB 4787 and HB 4830, the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (CAPA). The legislation will help stop coerced abortions from happening in Michigan.
Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “This wonderful news marks the end of a decade-long journey to stop coerced abortions, an everyday occurrence in Michigan.”
Research confirms that a substantial number of women feel forced by boyfriends, spouses, parents, and others to have an abortion against their will. Women are coerced through threats of physical violence, withdrawal of financial support, loss of housing and violation of employment contracts or other legal agreements.
In legislative debates, even elected officials who voted against CAPA acknowledged coerced abortions happen. Trying to downplay these acts of injustice, they suggested that only 3 percent of abortions are coerced. That would mean in 2015 there were 815 Michigan women forced to take the life of their own child against their will.
Listing said, “How can someone downplay coerced abortions while admitting that it happens to hundreds of women in Michigan every year?”
CAPA passed the Michigan Senate by a vote of 26-11 on May 25, and a House vote of 65-43 on March 24.
CAPA adds to Michigan's current anti-extortion/coercion provisions by including coercion to abort as a specific crime and establishes penalties.
Parts of CAPA were passed into law in 2012 through the Prolife Omnibus Act. These provisions included a screening process at abortion clinics and requiring the clinics to post a notification that coercion to abort is illegal. These delayed provisions can now be put into place.
Listing said, “The abortion industry in Michigan has profited from thousands of women who never chose to have an abortion. It’s time for that to end.”
Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “This wonderful news marks the end of a decade-long journey to stop coerced abortions, an everyday occurrence in Michigan.”
Research confirms that a substantial number of women feel forced by boyfriends, spouses, parents, and others to have an abortion against their will. Women are coerced through threats of physical violence, withdrawal of financial support, loss of housing and violation of employment contracts or other legal agreements.
In legislative debates, even elected officials who voted against CAPA acknowledged coerced abortions happen. Trying to downplay these acts of injustice, they suggested that only 3 percent of abortions are coerced. That would mean in 2015 there were 815 Michigan women forced to take the life of their own child against their will.
Listing said, “How can someone downplay coerced abortions while admitting that it happens to hundreds of women in Michigan every year?”
CAPA passed the Michigan Senate by a vote of 26-11 on May 25, and a House vote of 65-43 on March 24.
CAPA adds to Michigan's current anti-extortion/coercion provisions by including coercion to abort as a specific crime and establishes penalties.
Parts of CAPA were passed into law in 2012 through the Prolife Omnibus Act. These provisions included a screening process at abortion clinics and requiring the clinics to post a notification that coercion to abort is illegal. These delayed provisions can now be put into place.
Listing said, “The abortion industry in Michigan has profited from thousands of women who never chose to have an abortion. It’s time for that to end.”