Last Wednesday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments regarding mifepristone and a Biden-era policy on how it is dispensed, reported ABC News. Louisiana is trying to roll back those policies, leading the court to determine whether individuals can continue accessing abortion drugs through areas such as the mail.
As the 5th Circuit weighs a high-stakes legal battle over the abortion drug mifepristone, AG Liz Murrill (R-Louisiana) is pressing the federal government to reverse course, pointing to what she calls an ongoing emergency driven by mail-order pills.
The case began because Louisiana was against the Food and Drug Administration lifting the in-person dispensing requirements, arguing it violated Dobbs v. Jackson, which returned the right to regulate abortion back the states.
The appeals court previously ruled in favor of Louisiana, halting the dispensation of pill, as the case continues, but their order was halted by the Supreme Court.
Murrill spoke on the “Washington Watch” program about the case.
“I think that it is very critical that we get back to actual medical oversight with the use of these pills and respect for our laws,” Murrill says.
Relaxing safety protocols, she said, allows thousands of illegal abortion pills to enter pro-life states, straining state resources and creating dangerous complications for women.
“I don't think it's appropriate for the federal government to be partnering, basically, with the pill manufacturers, in promoting their profit margins, and these illegal pill operations and facilitating their delivery by mail when, in fact, it is against the federal law to even send them by mail,” Murrill states.
With a ruling expected in the coming months, Murrill said administrative action is needed immediately to protect health and safety.
“They've been talking about it now for two years, and I just haven't seen action. So, I would like to see action. I think this is an emergency situation,” Murrill says.
