Errington signs letter urging Indiana’s federal congressional delegation to support new ATF rule expanding background checks

INDIANAPOLIS - Today (June 13, 2024) the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit spearheaded by the anti-choice group, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, challenging the broad availability of the abortion pill, mifepristone. The Supreme Court unanimously reversed an earlier decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals that would have tightened restrictions to prescribing mifepristone.

In the lawsuit, doctors from the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine claimed that the Food and Drug Administration overstepped in broadening accessibility to mifepristone through virtual appointments and prescriptions.

Please attribute the following statement to State Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie):

“I am greatly relieved by the Supreme Court's decision. However, the battle is not yet won, and we must continue to remain vigilant.

“Though the lower court's ruling was overturned today, access to mifepristone is not guaranteed. The Supreme Court's decision only acknowledges that the broadened availability to mifepristone did not cause direct harm to the plaintiffs, meaning there is no legal standing for the lawsuit. While this case will not result in the drug being banned, it is more than likely that anti-abortion groups will make a new attempt to restrict access to the drug.

“Despite what anti-choice advocates may claim, time and time again research has shown that mifepristone is both safe and effective. In a recent study published by Nature Medicine, researchers examined the electronic medical records of over 6,000 patients from three telehealth providers offering medication abortion. Additionally, an opt-in survey was conducted of 1,600 additional patients. The results found that 99.8% of these patients had no complications after using the drug.

“In this post-Roe reality, the prescription of mifepristone online allows women a safe, accessible alternative and is hugely important in states like Indiana where abortion is outright banned. The drug remains one of the few options left for women to take control of their reproductive health, and we must not allow it to be taken away.

“While today's Supreme Court's ruling is undoubtably a victory, the continued crusade against women's healthcare cannot be ignored. As long as our rights are still under threat, we must be on guard against attacks led by anti-abortion lobbyists that attempt to roll back women's healthcare.”