Governor Janet Mills & Attorney General Frey Respond to Supreme Court?s Temporary Stay of Texas Mifepristone Decision

Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey issued the following statements today after the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of the Texas mifepristone decision.

As a result of a separate decision yesterday from a Federal Judge for the Eastern District Court of Washington, mifepristone was required to remain available in Maine and the 16 other states party to the lawsuit without restriction.

Justice Alito?s ruling from the Supreme Court today leaves Maine?s status quo intact and restores, for those states and territories not party to the Washington lawsuit, broad access to mifepristone without restriction.

The Supreme Court?s temporary stay expires on Wednesday, April 19^th.

?The bottom-line of the Supreme Court?s action today is that mifepristone remains legal and available without restriction in Maine for now. While I am relieved that the Court has granted a temporary nationwide stay and did not upend access here in Maine, I believe the Supreme Court should stay the decision next week pending the full appeal and then overturn the decision on its merits,? said Governor Janet Mills. ?Fundamentally, the Texas decision is reckless, legally and scientifically baseless, and an assault of women?s rights. My Administration will continue to work closely with the Office of the Attorney General to fight back against those who want to eliminate the reproductive rights of women.?

Attorney General Frey was one of 23 Attorneys General who filed a multistate amicus brief (PDF)?today urging the court to stay the ruling pending appeal.

?Today I joined my colleagues across the country to urge the Supreme Court to reject Texas?s extreme, overreaching ruling,? said Attorney General Frey. ?I know this level of uncertainty has put a strain on so many, and I want to continue to assure Mainers that my Office and the Mills administration will continue to use every tool available to us to protect reproductive freedom in Maine.?

Since its approval in 2000, mifepristone has been used safely for abortion and miscarriage management and for other medical uses. It is currently used in half of all abortion procedures nationwide.