Current:Home > NewsLouisiana legislature approves bill to classify abortion pills as controlled substances-LoTradeCoin
Louisiana legislature approves bill to classify abortion pills as controlled substances
View Date:2024-12-23 20:58:18
Washington — The Louisiana Senate passed a bill Thursday that would classify the drugs used in medication abortions as controlled substances, criminalizing possession of the drugs without a prescription. It now heads to the governor for his signature.
The state Senate approved the bill 29 to 7 after it passed the House earlier this week. The bill is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, making Louisiana the first state to classify as controlled substances misoprostol and mifepristone — the two drugs used in a regimen to terminate early-stage pregnancies.
The regimen accounts for well over half of all abortions in the U.S., making it a key avenue for access for those who support abortion rights and a target for abortion opponents. Drug are typically designated as controlled substances when they're considered addictive, such as opioids or depressants. And the designation enables states to create a database of who's receiving the drugs. It also makes possession of the medication without a prescription a crime. But under the legislation, pregnant women are exempted from prosecution.
Abortion is already banned in Louisiana in most circumstances. Exceptions are made when abortion is deemed necessary to prevent the risk of death for the mother or when the pregnancy is "medically futile." But the legislation could be a template for other states to take aim at the medication commonly used in early-stage pregnancies.
The Biden-Harris campaign sharply criticized the effort on Wednesday, hosting a press call with former mayor of New Orleans and Biden campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu, who put the blame squarely on former President Donald Trump.
"Women in Louisiana are one step closer towards living in a world where they can be monitored and tracked and even sent to prison for just holding FDA-approved medications," Landrieu said. "What's happening right here in Louisiana is just one example of this dystopian agenda that Trump and his allies are pushing."
The medications are also used outside of abortions, for other care such as managing miscarriages. Ellie Schilling, an attorney in Louisiana who specializes in reproductive health law, told reporters that the bill would make it "incredibly difficult" to use the drugs for medically necessary purposes, and would lead to the government monitoring pregnant women and those who prescribe the medication.
- In:
- Mifepristone
- Abortion Pill
- Louisiana
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
TwitterveryGood! (339)
Related
- Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend
- Wendy Williams' Son Kevin Hunter Jr. Shares Her Dementia Diagnosis Is Alcohol-Induced
- Most-Shopped Celeb-Recommended Items This Month: Olivia Culpo, Kyle Richards, Zayn Malik, and More
- Primary apathy in Michigan: Democrats, GOP struggle as supporters mull whether to even vote
- Jeep slashes 2025 Grand Cherokee prices
- Alabama judge shot in home; son arrested and charged, authorities say
- Israel plans to build thousands more West Bank settlement homes after shooting attack, official says
- Supreme Court takes up regulation of social media platforms in cases from Florida and Texas
- Fantasy football Week 11: Trade value chart and rest of season rankings
- US sues to block merger of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, saying it could push prices higher
Ranking
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Why Lupita Nyong'o Detailed Her “Pain and Heartbreak” After Selema Masekela Split
- Most-Shopped Celeb-Recommended Items This Month: Olivia Culpo, Kyle Richards, Zayn Malik, and More
- How The Underground Railroad Got Its Name
- Round 2 in the Trump-vs-Mexico matchup looks ominous for Mexico
- Air Force member Aaron Bushnell dies after setting himself on fire near Israeli Embassy
- Veteran NFL reporter and columnist Peter King announces his retirement
- Most-Shopped Celeb-Recommended Items This Month: Olivia Culpo, Kyle Richards, Zayn Malik, and More
Recommendation
-
John Krasinski is People's Sexiest Man Alive. What that says about us.
-
Veteran NFL reporter and columnist Peter King announces his retirement
-
Wild weather’s coming: West readies for snow as Midwest gets a taste of summer
-
Republicans say Georgia student’s killing shows Biden’s migration policies have failed
-
Auburn surges, while Kansas remains No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
-
Duke coach Jon Scheyer calls on ACC to address court storming after Kyle Filipowski injury
-
Priyanka Chopra Embraces Her Fresh Faced Skin in Makeup-Free Selfie
-
Tipped-over Odysseus moon lander, spotted by lunar orbiter, sends back pictures