Broadcasting from Richmond, we look at a new law that could force many of Virginia’s abortion clinics to shut down. Passed last month, the so-called "Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers," or TRAP, law requires clinics that provide abortions to meet the same building standards as hospitals. Critics say the new rules are a thinly veiled attempt to limit access to abortion services because clinics unable to afford to overhaul their buildings would close down. Similarly intentioned TRAP laws levying special requirements on doctors who provide abortions have threatened the last remaining clinic in Mississippi and recently forced a clinic in Tennessee to close. The man leading the push for Virginia’s new regulations, longtime Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, has announced his plans to run for governor next year. We’re joined by Shelley Abrams, director of the Capital Women’s Health Clinic, which has obtained an emergency license to provide abortions for two years as it prepares to meet the state’s new building requirements. [includes rush transcript]
