California and abortion pill
Gov. Newsom said he would listen to the U.S. Supreme Court arguments Tuesday about the availability of a widely used abortion pill — and then decide whether to replenish the state's stockpile.
But afterwards, his office said he is still considering his options, reports CalMatters health reporter Kristen Hwang.
Brandon Richards, Newsom spokesperson: “California remains ready to purchase up to another 1.75 million pills given the ongoing attacks to abortion care access happening across the country — not just at the Supreme Court.” Newsom also released a statement Tuesday,
warning that “Republicans want a national abortion ban,” which should “scare the hell out of everyone.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta — who along with the governor filed an amicus brief supporting the drug, according to The Sacramento Bee — released his own statement ensuring abortion access to Californians.
Bonta: “Upholding full access to mifepristone isn't just about preserving access to a medication; it's about affirming the fundamental right of every individual to autonomy over their own body and reproductive healthcare decisions.” The high court heard oral arguments in a case brought by a Christian legal group that wants to limit the availability of mifepristone and is challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 24-year approval of the drug. The pill is recommended to be used alongside another medication, misoprostol, to induce abortions.
Last year, a federal district court in Texas suspended federal approval of the drug, but days later, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals partially overruled the ruling.
Because of the drug's tenuous legal status, however, California began to stockpile misoprostol. It has since distributed nearly all its inventory of the medication, reports the San Francisco Chronicle, having purchased 250,000 pills from ANI Pharmaceuticals for about $107,000.
Supreme Court justices, both liberals and some conservatives, appear to be “deeply skeptical” about arguments to restrict access to the pills nationwide, according to The New York Times. The court is expected to rule in June.
—Lynn La, CALMatters