Gubernatorial teams on both the West and East Coasts are taking action to protect access to abortion — specifically, abortion via medication — after the decision by a federal judge that, if implemented, would restrict access to mifepristone, which is a prescription drug used for those abortions.
In California, the team of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced their state was assembling a stockpile of medications that can be used on their own in conducting an abortion via medication, besides also making terms of their agreement with the source for those drugs available to other states that are part of an alliance helmed by the California Democrat for coordination in protecting reproductive rights.
Over in Massachusetts, where Democratic Governor Maura Healey took over earlier this year after the perhaps surprisingly popular Republican Larry Hogan left office, state officials took similar action. The Healey administration announced a stockpile, though, of mifepristone itself, and Healey signed an executive order outlining that previously established protections for individuals in Massachusetts from potential out-of-state proceedings related to reproductive healthcare also applied to mifepristone.
“In response to this extremist ban on a medication abortion drug, our state has secured a stockpile of an alternative medication abortion drug to ensure that Californians continue to have access to safe reproductive health treatments,” Newsom said Monday. “We will not cave to extremists who are trying to outlaw these critical abortion services. Medication abortion remains legal in California.” The stockpile California was assembling had already reached over a quarter of a million pills of misoprostol, the alternative drug.
“Medication abortion is safe, effective and legal,” Healey added in Massachusetts. “Mifepristone has been used safely for more than 20 years and is the gold standard. Here in Massachusetts, we are not going to let one extremist judge in Texas turn back the clock on this proven medication and restrict access to care in our state. The action we are taking today protects access to mifepristone in Massachusetts and protects patients and providers from liability. In Massachusetts, we stand for civil rights and freedom. We will always protect access to reproductive health care, including medication abortion.” Apparently, the Massachusetts stockpile of mifepristone that was put into motion would cover the state’s needs for over a year.
Other locales took similar measures. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has already appealed the decision to restrict mifepristone (through targeting its approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration), and it appears the threatened drug remains available — at least for now.
