Republican Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana has signed a controversial bill into law that classifies mifepristone and misoprostol, two drugs used in medication abortion, as controlled substances in the state. The bill, known as S.B. 276, was passed by the Louisiana House and Senate before reaching the governor’s desk for approval.
Under the new law, the medications are now listed as Schedule IV substances, which means that possessing them without a valid prescription could result in fines and jail time of up to five years. However, there is an exception for pregnant individuals who possess the drugs for their own consumption.
GOP State Sen. Thomas Pressly, a supporter of the bill, stated that it would help control the illegal distribution of abortion-inducing drugs and protect vulnerable women and unborn babies. Louisiana already has strict laws regarding surgical and medical abortions, allowing them only in cases where the patient’s life is in danger or the pregnancy is deemed medically futile.
Critics of the law, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have called it “absolutely unconscionable” and raised concerns about its potential impact on doctors and patients. The Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine argued that the bill goes against the purpose of the drug scheduling system, which is meant to classify substances based on their danger, potential for misuse, and medical benefit.
As the first state to designate these drugs as controlled substances, Louisiana’s new law has sparked a heated debate on reproductive rights and access to medication abortion. Democrats are now focusing on building Democratic power in state legislatures to counteract what they see as a Republican-led attack on reproductive rights.