Louisiana Trying to Schedule Mifepristone

"The fact of birth is an absolute -- that is, up to that moment, the child is not an independent, living organism. It's part of the body of the mother. But at birth, a child is an individual, and has the rights inherent in the nature of a human individual." -- Ayn Rand

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A report at Popular Information reveals the the still-growing threat anti-abortion theocrats pose to reproductive-age women in Louisiana. The headline is bad enough: "Louisiana Lawmakers Insist Child Rape Victims Must Carry Their Pregnancy to Term."

Yes. An attempt to add an exemption to the state's abortion ban for minors who have been victims of rape was shot down. But the real news is a proposal covered a bit later:

Anti-abortion lawmakers in Louisiana are also pushing a bill that would classify abortion medication as Schedule IV drugs, the same treatment as opioids. If the bill becomes law, Louisiana would be the first state in the country to classify mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances.

Under Senate Bill 276, anyone who possesses mifepristone or misoprostol -- the two pills used in a medication abortion -- without a valid prescription could face up to "five years in prison and $5,000 in fines." The bill includes an exemption for pregnant women who use the drugs for their "own consumption." But it still makes acquiring abortion drugs for future use -- a practice known as advanced provision -- effectively illegal.

If you live in Louisiana (or any other red state) and have a daughter, pay attention to this.

The article goes on to note that -- on top of violating the rights of women -- such a move will pose problems for anyone who needs mifepristone or misoprostol (which is often used with it for medical abortions) for other reasons, and complicate prenatal care.

This is horrible news, but unsurprising: By being fundamentally mistaken about what constitutes a human life, anti-abortionists are trampling over the rights of actual human beings as they instead protect the imagined rights of potential human beings.

-- CAV