The Texas judge’s recent ruling opens the door for Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri to continue their challenge against federal regulations surrounding mifepristone, the abortion drug.
These states aim to impose stricter rules, such as limiting telehealth prescriptions and shortening the window for its use from 10 to 7 weeks of pregnancy. The states argue that current accessibility undermines state laws and frustrates law enforcement efforts.
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, known for his conservative rulings, previously sided with anti-abortion advocates who sought to revoke the FDA’s approval of mifepristone.
In this case, however, the states are pushing for more specific restrictions rather than a total ban.
The case follows a narrow Supreme Court ruling in 2023, which preserved mifepristone access but found that abortion opponents lacked the standing to sue initially. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) criticized Kacsmaryk’s decision, stating that it allows further attacks on medication abortion.
With the issue now set to unfold in Kacsmaryk’s court, abortion opponents continue to target abortion pills as a key area for restricting access, reflecting broader trends in states with Republican-controlled legislatures.
Meanwhile, some Democratic states have introduced measures to protect providers offering telehealth services for mifepristone, as this method of access continues to provide a workaround in states with abortion bans.
Mifepristone, typically used alongside another drug in medication abortions, accounts for the majority of abortions in the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The drug has been found to be highly effective and safe in completing abortions, though it remains a focus of ongoing legal battles.