Louisiana state representatives passes abortion pill bill
BATON ROUGE, La. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The Louisiana House has given the go ahead to classify two drugs that can induce abortions as controlled dangerous substances.
The controversial move is due to an amendment that added to a bill originally meant to create the crime of coerced abortion by fraud.
If the bill makes it to the governor's desk, Louisiana would be the first state to make such a move.
The bill started out as a personal story for State Senator Thomas Pressly (R-Shreveport), who brought his sister to testify about her husband slipping the abortion-inducing drug into cups of water to force her to end her pregnancy.
Classification
An amendment was added on the bill after it had passed the Senate to classify mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substances. The classification is often used for drugs that are addictive and abused.
"Senator Pressley agrees with this amendment, and I do as well, because I think that over-utilizing this drug can be incredibly harmful," said Julie Emerson (R-Carencro), State Representative.
Over 200 doctors wrote a letter to legislators asking them not to pass the bill with the amendments on it. They explained how the drug is used for a lot more reasons than abortions such as inducing labor, treating miscarriages and a lot more.
The amendment was created by the powerful anti-abortion rights group, Louisiana Right to Life.
Fears
"I think it's pretty terrible how this good bill was hijacked by outsiders who are not doctors and aren't even legislators. These prescriptions have been used for a really long time, and they're used probably thousands of times per day in this country."
Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans), State Representative
People will still be able to be prescribed the drugs, but patients and their doctors are added to the prescription drug monitoring programs list.
They also fear it will lead to major delays in getting the medication to women in critical need and in rural areas.
The bill, with the added amendment, now heads to Lousiana's State Senate for consideration.
