By Dave Andrusko

Abortionist Kermit Gosnell and his Women's Medical Society abortion clinic

Interesting juxtaposition. The Illinois Department of Health has just suspended the license of a Rockford abortion clinic for a persistent, ongoing series of violations. (See “Northern Illinois Women’s Center License suspended indefinitely.”)

But as bad as conditions reportedly were at the Northern Illinois Women’s Center, there are no Grand Jury report, as there was in Pennsylvania, that detailed conditions so squalid that abortionist Kermit Gosnell and four of his staff will be on trial for murder–in Gosnell’s case, for seven counts of murder.

Even so, as Brad Bumsted of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote yesterday, it’s been more than eight months since state legislators “vowed to pass legislation to try to prevent horrific abuses at a Philadelphia abortion clinic from happening again.” And although this week the House could consider a Senate-passed bill, if there are any changes it must go back to the Senate for its consideration before going to Gov. Tom Corbett to be signed. Hopefully, having broke the initial log-jam back in June, sponsors will prevail, and prevail soon.

Christopher Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, told Bumsted, “Any time you are dealing with abortion, even on something where there’s clear bipartisan support, there’s a tendency to move slowly because of the potential for a backlash or mistakes being made with unintended consequences.”

Not being on the scene, I don’t know how accurate it is to write (as Bumsted did) that “Most House and Senate members want to more strictly regulate abortion clinics.” Presumably most everyone agrees abortion clinics must no longer be given an absolutely free rein to do as they please.

But plenty of legislators did not warm to the crux of the legislation: ensuring that abortion facilities abide by the safety standards of ambulatory surgical facilities. However thanks to pro-lifers in the legislature and the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, pro-lifers are on the doorstep.

One other quick point, relevant because it’s a counter the pro-abortionists employ every time a clinic regulation measure is introduced. That “higher standards” will drive some abortion clinics out of business. From the story

“Rep. Matthew Baker, R-Tioga County, an outspoken anti-abortion legislator, notes the grand jury’s finding that Gosnell made more than $1 million a year from his clinic. That indicates clinics should be able to afford to ‘improve their health care facilities to insure that women have sanitary, safe equipment and that staffing is professional and that the building is safe,’ he said.”

Your feedback is so very important to improving National Right to Life News Today. Please send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha