Louisiana House Passes Bill to Make Abortion Drugs Controlled Substances
The invoice would criminalize possession of mifepristone and misoprostol with no legitimate prescription.
A invoice to reclassify two abortion-inducing medication as “managed harmful substances” handed the Louisiana Home on Could 21 over the objections of Democrats.
The invoice goals to criminalize possession of the medication mifepristone and misoprostol with no legitimate prescription. Whereas each are generally used to induce abortion—which is sort of solely outlawed in Louisiana—misoprostol can also be used for different functions, comparable to miscarriage care and to forestall abdomen ulcers in sure sufferers.
These with a prescription would nonetheless have the ability to legally receive and possess the medication. However Democrats voiced issues that the brand new regulation might lead to delays in remedy for girls struggling problems from miscarriages in a state with one of many highest maternal mortality charges.
“These drugs contact on maternal well being, which, as we’ve all mentioned for a number of years now, is actually dangerous in Louisiana,” Democrat state Rep. Mandie Landry mentioned previous to the vote.
The consultant mentioned she had been inundated by calls and emails from docs who feared unfavorable outcomes for his or her sufferers.
However Republican state Rep. Julie Emerson mentioned the invoice would solely stop these with the intent to coerce ladies into having an abortion from acquiring the drug.
“What this invoice goes to do is it’s going to be sure that our legal guidelines can maintain accountable these people who’re utilizing deception to hurt ladies and unborn kids,” Ms. Emerson mentioned, noting that the matter was private to the invoice’s sponsor, state Sen. Thomas Pressly.
Mr. Pressly’s sister, Catherine Herring, has overtly shared her story of being unknowingly slipped an abortion tablet by her then-husband in an try and kill their unborn baby.
“He tried to poison her drink seven instances,” Ms. Emerson mentioned. “Fortunately, with the assistance of the abortion tablet reversal regimens, Sen. Pressly’s niece is alive at the moment. However she was delivered 10 weeks early and attends remedy a number of instances per week.”
Ms. Herring’s husband was sentenced to 180 days in county jail for his crimes.
The preliminary invoice that originated within the Senate didn’t embrace the modification to reclassify mifepristone and misoprostol however created the crime of “coerced legal abortion via fraud.”
Abortion has already been nearly fully banned within the state, besides in instances that pose a menace to the mom’s life or contain a deadly fetal anomaly.
The amended invoice handed the Home in a 66–30 vote and can now head to the Senate for approval.
Reactions
Forward of the invoice’s passage, the Democratic Legislative Marketing campaign Committee (DLCC) decried the measure as “excessive” and “harmful.”
“This primary-in-the-nation invoice poses a grave menace to Louisianans—it’s outrageous that state Republicans are contemplating imposing jail time for the possession of protected, FDA-approved abortion treatment,” DLCC Communications Director Abhi Rahman mentioned in a press release.
However Caitlin Connors, southern regional director for Susan B. Anthony Professional-Life America, mentioned classifying abortion medication as managed substances “must be uncontroversial.”
“Like morphine and Valium, the medication in query will nonetheless be obtainable for prescription for reputable medical causes—like miscarriage care—however will likely be more durable for abusers to acquire,” Ms. Connors mentioned in a press launch.
“This transfer is critical in a world the place pro-abortion Democrats have enabled abusers to coerce and poison moms with harmful abortion medication by eradicating in-person physician visits and giving abortionists immunity by way of defend legal guidelines. Ladies deserve higher.”
The transfer to reclassify the medication comes because the U.S. Supreme Court docket is ready to rule on a problem to the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s loosening of restrictions on mifepristone, together with permitting the drug to be prescribed through telehealth visits and delivered by mail.
The courtroom has but to problem a ruling on the matter however is anticipated to take action by the top of June.
Catherine Yang and The Related Press contributed to this report.