California Stockpiles 2 Million Abortion Pills After Texas Judge Imposes Ban

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego

April 10, 2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California has secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2 million abortion pills after a Texas judge ruled that a similar medication used safely for two decades should be banned.

More than 250,000 Misoprostol pills have already arrived in California, and the state has negotiated the ability to purchase up to 2 million.

On Friday, the single federal judge in remote Amarillo ruled the drug Mifepristone is unsafe and banned it’s sale. Mifepristone and Misoprostol are typically used together, but the latter can be used alone.

“In response to this extremist ban on a medication abortion drug, our state has secured a stockpile of an alternative medication abortion drug to ensure that Californians continue to have access to safe reproductive health treatments,” said Newsom.

“We will not cave to extremists who are trying to outlaw these critical abortion services. Medication abortion remains legal in California,” he said.

The Biden administration on Monday appealed the Texas decision, saying the plaintiffs, a nonprofit group incorporated in Amarillo just months ago, lacked standing, and the statute of limitations on challenging the FDA’s 2000 approval expired long ago.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by Donald Trump and previously represented anti-abortion groups, gave the government just seven days to appeal.

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