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LANSING ? Yesterday, Judge Thomas O. Rice of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington filed a clarification to his ruling which orders the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to maintain the status quo and permit continued use of the drug mifepristone in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following statement in response:?
?Judge Rice has made it perfectly clear that this order legally prohibits the FDA from restricting the prescription of mifepristone in the states partnered on the lawsuit before him, including Michigan,? said Nessel. ?There is no change in the state of Michigan when it comes to access or availability to mifepristone. Abortion remains legal and available, and this ruling robustly protects access to the safe, reliable medication used in over half of all abortions in this country.??
?It is vital that we maintain access to mifepristone here in Michigan, in defense of the constitutional right to an abortion Michigan residents demanded for themselves last November,? Nessel continued. ?And that is why we partnered with these 16 other states, to defend the constitutional rights of Michigan residents. But last week?s ruling from Northern Texas is still an assault on the rights of women, and may have terrible effects on reproductive healthcare in states that are not protected by Judge Rice?s ruling. We will protect Michigan as a safe haven for women in our region to access reproductive healthcare that may not be protected in their state. As always, my department?s top priority will be to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of the residents of our state."?
Please review the materials provided by the Michigan Department of Attorney General for more information on the ongoing litigation that could affect the legality of abortion medication in our state and across the country.
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