In Texas, a new abortion law was met with filibusters, protests, and widespread outrage; Ohio seems to be following in that state’s footsteps. Many of these new laws are touted as a way to protect women by making sure abortions are “safe,” and that doctors conducting them have proper medical oversight; detractors say that the bills are just a sneaky way to close clinics. (For example, the Texas law that passed in special session this week would effectively close all but five of the state’s abortion clinics; the remaining ones would have to spend millions of dollars to become legal again.) But, as a lengthy article in today’s New York Times points out, Maryland seems to have found a way to please both sides of the debate — not an easy thing to do. So, hey, Texas — why don’t you start taking notes?
The horrible Gosnell case has been a rallying cry for the anti-abortion crowd in Texas, but the Maryland reforms were spurred by a different shady doc, one Steven Brigham of New Jersey. After Brigham nearly killed a young woman during a procedure, the state took notice. But, as the Times points out, Maryland’s new rules and regulations were negotiated by health officials, not politicians. (Important, since politicians often have very stupid ideas about how human reproduction works.)
One big difference is that Maryland rules don’t focus on trivialities, like the width of hallways, the size of janitors’ closets, or the number of parking spaces. Instead, they mandate that clinics have plans for emergency evacuations. They also don’t require that abortion clinic doctors have admitting privileges at local hospitals (a flash point of debate in Texas, since it’s often impossible for doctors to get such privileges). “Officials concluded that in emergencies, hospitals are best equipped to provide care anyway, and the clinic doctor can advise the hospital staff without holding admitting privileges,” the Times notes.
(And, it should be noted that very few women die of abortion-related complications each year — on average, fewer than a dozen. That’s quite low, considering the million-plus procedures that take place annually.)
“Maryland took a thoughtful approach that reflects a balance between ensuring access to service but also protecting public health,” Heather Howard, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, told the Times. A thoughtful approach! What a novel idea. Texas, are you listening?
