Justice Samuel Alito extended a temporary pause Monday on a lower court ruling that would restrict access to the abortion drug mifepristone while legal challenges continue.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday extended a temporary administrative stay blocking enforcement of a lower court ruling that would limit access to the abortion drug mifepristone as litigation over federal abortion policy continues.
The extension preserves current access to the medication until Thursday while the Supreme Court considers the dispute stemming from a federal appeals court decision involving Louisiana abortion restrictions and federal Food and Drug Administration policy.
According to The Hill, Alito had initially issued the stay last week for a shorter period before extending it Monday.
The case centers on Mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used in medication abortions, and a federal rule established by the Food and Drug Administration permitting prescriptions through telehealth appointments and delivery of the medication through the mail.
Louisiana law requires women seeking the drug to first attend an in-person appointment with a healthcare provider before receiving a prescription. The state also maintains a near-total abortion ban that limits legal abortions to narrow circumstances.
The dispute reached the Supreme Court after the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit indicated Louisiana was likely to prevail in its challenge to the federal policy.
The appeals court ruling concluded the state had a substantial likelihood of succeeding on the merits of the case, prompting emergency action before the Supreme Court.
The litigation continues amid broader national legal battles over abortion policy following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and returning abortion regulation authority to individual states.
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