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In the recent article “VA Governor Downplays Mandatory Ultrasounds By Saying It’s Only Required In A ‘Small Minority’ Of Cases published by ThinkProgress, Amanda Peterson Beadle, an editorial assistant for the company, does not only talk about Bob McDonnell’s view on the ultrasounds, but also the reasons for the closures of many of the clinics in the state. Beadle received a B.A. in journalism and Spanish from the University of Alabama. She was editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper and interned at the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire, the Press-Register, and the Ludington Daily News. In the article, Amanda Peterson Beadle writes about how the mandatory ultrasound bill that the Virginia Governor, Bob McDonnell signed, and went into law last month. This ultrasound bill requires all women who have an abortion in the state to have an ultrasound first. In the beginning of the creation of the bill, McDonnell supported a more invasive version of the procedure, but then backed down to a less invasive ultrasound.

Bob McDonnell said that the women “have a right to know” all available medical information before making a decision. However, the bill adds an unfunded, unnecessary burden for women seeking an abortion. McDonnell was interviewed by All Hunt of Bloomberg. In this interview, the Virginia Governor argued that “in almost all the cases already these ultrasounds are already required for medical reasons” and that “the important part, really, is to be able to show the woman the ultrasound along with all the medical information.”

Amanda Peterson Beadle claims that this invasive law is the Republican lawmakers’ attempts to limit women’s access to abortion procedures by making it difficult or forcing clinics to close. She brings up the evidence that burdensome and expensive state regulations are put on abortion clinics, which aids in the forcing of closures for the clinics. Beadle shares that 20 of Virginia’s 23 abortion clinics were affected by the new regulations. Some of these 20 clinics had to make changes to their clinics; these changes included larger hallways, bigger parking lots, and certain health and cooling controls. The clinics told Beadle that in order to comply with the new regulations, it cost them between $150,000 and $3 million each.

I think that Amanda Peterson Beadle is right on target with her explanation for the closings of the clinics. It is quite a chunk of cash in these rough and difficult economic times to have to make such drastic renovations to the clinics. Laura Meyers, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington, agrees with this thought. In a recent interview with the Washington Examiner she said that “to put more onerous regulations on health care providers that are not necessary seems very counterproductive.” I agree with Meyers. I think that the regulations are definitely tedious and burdensome and it is counterproductive to spend such money on these new regulations when that is not the main reason for the existence of the clinics. If the clinics are suited for the neighborhood or amount of traffic that flows through the clinic, then I think that the bigger parking lots, etc. are unnecessary.