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Abortion debate in Texas could play out in Pennsylvania

A debate over a law dealing with abortion in Texas could soon be playing out in Pennsylvania. The Texas law requires doctors who practice abortions to have admi...

A debate over a law dealing with abortion in Texas could soon be playing out in Pennsylvania. The Texas law requires doctors who practice abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Those against the law say it’s a way to limit the number of abortions. But state representatives Bryan Barbin and Bryan Cutler think the law is a good idea and they want to pass a similar law here. Cutler says it’s a health issue.

He says “I don’t understand how the requirement of having admitting privileges at a hospital in an of itself would decrease or increase the number of abortions. Because it really comes down to the qualifications of the physician that’s preforming the abortions. that for me is really the crux of the issue.”

Not so says Sarah Newman, Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood. She says hospitals can deny doctors admitting privileges for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with their qualifications. She said “I just think its another attack taken right out of the playbook that we’ve seen in other states to stop women’s access to abortion and limit their rights to choose and make their own medical decisions.”

Cutler insists the law would help weed out unqualified doctors in Pennsylvania. He and Barbin are looking for co-sponsors for a similar bill in the senate.

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