In abortion news, Louisiana’s Republican-led Legislature voted to classify abortion pills as controlled substances. Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the measure into law, meaning the possession of abortion pills without a prescription could soon be a crime in Louisiana, with penalties including jail time and fines. Mifepristone and misoprostol have been deemed safe by the FDA and do not lead to abuse or dependency. The drugs are also used for purposes other than abortion, which is already widely banned in Louisiana. This is Tyler Barbarin with the Louisiana Abortion Fund.

Tyler Barbarin: “It’s going to mean detrimental things, and there are going to be very specific types of people that are circumstanced into carrying pregnancies that they don’t consent to or did not want, because of legislation like this. And that, unfortunately, will most likely be poor Black communities that we represent and that we do our work to support.”

In related news, nearly 6,000 doctors have signed a letter urging the Supreme Court to uphold the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The federal law protects the rights of pregnant people to get the emergency medical care they need.