Governors act to halt 'turning back clock' on abortion

Despite receiving a reprieve from the supreme court that halted an abortion pill ban, Democratic states are stockpiling the drug as the legal fight for access continues

- Maya Yang

Last Friday, the supreme court decided to temporarily block a lower court ruling that would have significantly restricted the availability of mifepristone, an FDA-approved abortion medication.

Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trumpappointed federal judge in Texas, this month issued a preliminary injunction that suspended the FDA's approval of mifepristone, calling it a drug that is used to "kill the unborn human".

At the Massachusetts governor Maura Healey's request, the University of Massachusetts Amherst bought approximately 15,000 doses of mifepristone. The stockpile is expected to offer "sufficient coverage" in the state for over a year. "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," Healey said earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of New York and California both announced plans to stockpile another drug, misoprostol, in attempts to safeguard their states' abortion access.