Popular abortion drugs Mifepristone and Misoprostol are facing intense scrutiny in Texas. If a new law passes through the Texas Senate, both women in Texas and those assisting them in obtaining these abortion-inducing drugs could face jail time and significant fines.
The proposed law, introduced by Texas State Representative-elect Pat Curry, seeks to designate abortion medications as controlled substances.
The bill specifically aims to classify mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV substances under the Texas Controlled Substances Act. If passed, as many Republicans anticipate, this law could take effect by 2025.
“Abortion pills are the most common method by which abortions are performed in the United States,” said Kimberlyn Schwartz, director of media and communication for Texas Right to Life.
“One in five women will experience a complication from taking an abortion pill, and one in 20 will end up in the emergency room. Even more troubling, every successful abortion results in the death of an innocent baby.”
“Chemical abortions involve two drugs: mifepristone, which starves the preborn child to death, and misoprostol, which causes the woman to deliver the deceased baby,” Schwartz explained.
According to FDA guidelines, “Mifepristone can be used to abort a child up to 10 weeks,” Schwartz added.
Louisiana Law Passed in Response to Premature Birth Incident in Houston
A similar law reclassifying abortion pills was recently enacted in Louisiana on October 1. Sponsored by State Senator Thomas Pressly, the bill responds to a troubling incident involving his sister, Catherine Herring, who was given abortion medication without her consent while pregnant. This led to her daughter being born prematurely, ten weeks early, in Houston. As a result, Herring’s spouse was convicted of child abuse and assault against a pregnant individual.
“I commend the Texas Legislature for introducing legislation to address the weaponization of abortion drugs,” said Pressly. “Reclassifying misoprostol and mifepristone as scheduled drugs allows healthcare providers to prescribe them for legitimate healthcare purposes while preventing bad actors from obtaining them.”
Republicans’ Evidence Lacking to Classify Abortion Pills as Illegal Drugs?
Mother Jones journalist Julianne McShane reported that Texas is just the latest target of right-wing efforts against abortion pills. The Project 2025 guidebook, designed for a second Trump term, recommends using the 19th-century Comstock Act to prosecute abortion pill providers.
Anti-abortion groups aim to make abortion pills illegal across the country during Trump’s next term, as reported by The Guardian.
McShane quoted Veronica Gillespie-Bell, a New Orleans-based board-certified OB-GYN: “There is no scientific or medical evidence to support the claim that the pills are dangerous or should be classified as controlled substances, which federal law defines as drugs with ‘potential for abuse.'”
Studies Confirm Mifepristone and Misoprostol Are Safe for Women
McShane also reported that over 100 studies show mifepristone and misoprostol are safe and effective for terminating a pregnancy. Research confirms that abortion pills are just as safe and effective when prescribed via telemedicine and mailed to patients as when dispensed in person.
According to the Texas Controlled Substances Act, possessing a counterfeit prescription for Schedule IV substances would be considered a Class B misdemeanor. If convicted, a person could face a fine of up to $2,000 or incarceration for up to 180 days.
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