Liam Conner
Washington – The Louisiana Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would classify drugs used in medication abortions as controlled substances, criminalizing drug possession without a prescription. It now goes to the governor for his signature.
The state Senate approved the bill 29-7 after it passed the House earlier this week. The bill is expected to be signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry, making Louisiana the first state to classify misoprostol and mifepristone – the two drugs used in a regimen to terminate early-stage pregnancies – as controlled substances.
The regime is responsible for well over half of all abortions in the US, making it a key avenue for those who support abortion rights and a target for abortion opponents. Drugs are typically designated as controlled substances when they are considered addictive, such as opioids or depressants. And the designation allows states to create a database of who is receiving the medications. It also makes possession of the medicine without a prescription a crime. But, according to legislation, pregnant women are exempt from prosecution.
Abortion is already prohibited in Louisiana under most circumstances. Exceptions are made when the abortion is considered necessary to avoid the risk of death to the mother or when the pregnancy is “medically futile.” But the legislation could be a model for other states to target the medication commonly used in early-stage pregnancies.
The Biden-Harris campaign sharply criticized the effort on Wednesday, organizing a conference call with former New Orleans mayor and Biden campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu, who placed the blame squarely on former President Donald Trump.
“Women in Louisiana are one step closer to living in a world where they can be monitored and tracked and even sent to prison for only possessing FDA-approved medications,” Landrieu said. “What’s happening here in Louisiana is just one example of this dystopian agenda that Trump and his allies are pushing.”
The medications are also used outside of abortion, for other care, such as managing miscarriages. Ellie Schilling, a Louisiana attorney who specializes in reproductive health law, told reporters the bill would make it “incredibly difficult” to use the drugs for medically necessary purposes and would prompt the government to monitor pregnant women and those who prescribe the drugs. .
