Abortion Pill Access Extended
The Supreme Court extended access to the abortion pill mifepristone through the mail until at least Thursday at 5 p.m. This extension allows pharmacies, telehealth companies, and clinicians to continue prescribing the pill by mail, giving the court more time to consider restrictions on the drug. Justice Samuel Alito extended an administrative stay he granted last week after requests from drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had sided with Louisiana, arguing that federal rules allowing telemedicine prescriptions for mifepristone undermined state laws protecting unborn human life. Louisiana claimed it spent Medicaid funds on emergency care for women harmed by mifepristone. The FDA determined that the in-person requirement was medically unnecessary in 2021.
Medication Abortion Details
Mifepristone, sold under the brand name Mifeprex by Danco Laboratories, is used with misoprostol to terminate early pregnancies and manage miscarriages. According to the Guttmacher Institute, medication abortion accounted for 65% of clinician-provided abortions in 2023. One quarter of abortions happen via telemedicine.
Democratic-led states submitted an amicus brief arguing that the appeals court decision prioritized states with abortion bans over those promoting abortion access. Former leaders of the FDA also submitted an amicus brief defending the FDA's approval process for mifepristone.
Alabama Voting Map
The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to potentially use a new congressional map that would eliminate one of its two majority-Black districts. This decision sends litigation back to a lower court, potentially allowing the state to use a map drawn by Republicans in 2023. The map contains one majority-Black district.
The lower court must reconsider the case after a Supreme Court ruling last month that weakened the Voting Rights Act. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissenting opinion joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, stated the decision was "inappropriate" and would cause confusion as Alabamians begin voting.
Redistricting Battles
Alabama officials enacted a law allowing them to void the results of a May 19 primary for some congressional districts and hold a new primary under the revised district boundaries. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey must set a date for a special primary election by August. Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures called the Supreme Court's decision "incredibly unfortunate," saying it "sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state."
Virginia Democrats have also asked the Supreme Court to restore their new congressional map that could give the party up to four House seats. The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the map, calling it "judicial defiance."
With abortion pill access extended temporarily and redistricting battles ongoing, the Supreme Court's decisions continue to shape access to healthcare and voting rights across the country, with potential shifts in congressional representation hanging in the balance.
