In an unprecedented proposal, the Republican-dominated Louisiana legislature passed a bill that would reclassify medication used to induce abortion as “dangerous controlled substances” like opioids and other highly-addictive drugs, the Washington Post reports. Louisiana already bans all forms of abortions except if the life of the mother is in danger or if the pregnancy is not viable, and this bill would now outlaw even possessing mifepristone and misoprostol.
The addendum was attached to a popular bill, S.B. 276, that could be called the Jason Miller bill: it outlaws giving someone an abortion medication without their knowledge or permission. A Republican in the state legislature inserted the language into the Senate bill, raising alarms among the medical community around Louisiana.
Doctors around the state signed a letter opposing the measure, saying many of the drugs covered by the provision are also useful in other medical applications, including inducing labor. The doctors argue, “Given [Louisiana’s] historically poor maternal health outcomes, Louisiana should prioritize safe and evidence-base care for pregnant women.”