Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Health,

I write to ask you to repeal the recent regulations of women’s reproductive health centers in order to preserve Virginia women’s access to comprehensive reproductive care. As a Republican who believes in the core conservative values of limited government, fiscal conservatism and personal responsibility, I encourage the board members to heed the advice of unbiased medical experts instead of anti-choice extremists.

Virginia is a state known for and extremely proud of its pro-business environment, but these regulations overburden small, safe local businesses. No other legal out-patient facilities face these burdensome regulations that medical experts agree do nothing to increase patient safety. This is an example of big government picking and choosing which safe, legal out-patient facilities should exist in the free market. Closing family planning clinics for ideological reasons causes economic problems and creates health risks for the whole state of Virginia.

Extremists claim to be protecting women with these medically unnecessary and onerous regulations, but the reality is that less than 1% of women experience a major complication during or after an abortion. By forcing clinics to close and discontinue comprehensive reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings and family planning, as well as safe, legal first-trimester abortion, the Department of Health is putting women and their families at risk.

Instead of minimizing the economic impact of legislation on small business, these regulations purposely maximize costs and health risks. Average Americans do not want the non-partisan world of healthcare to make a political statement with medically unnecessary, burdensome anti-choice regulations. As an American, Virginian, and Republican, I encourage the health board members to repeal the current legislation.

Sincerely,

Sandra Baron
Republican Majority for Choice Member