Governor Inslee Criticizes Louisiana’s SB 276 Classifying ABORTION Medications as Hazardous Poisons

Governor Jay Inslee (D) criticized the Louisiana Legislature on Thursday after Republican lawmakers passed legislation designating medicated abortion medicines as hazardous poisons.

SB 276, which has cleared both chambers of the state legislature and is expected to be approved by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R), will add pharmaceutical abortion medications such as Mifepristone to a list of dangerous chemicals alongside fentanyl.

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), mifepristone is commonly used in pregnancies before 11 weeks. “Mifepristone is a safe and effective drug that’s been used in medication abortions by millions of Americans for over 20 years,” the Department of Health’s website claims.

According to the DOH, medication abortion medications are accessible at clinics, by mail from healthcare providers, and at some pharmacies.

Inslee directed the Washington Department of Corrections to purchase a stockpile of Mifepristone in July 2023, anticipating an increase in the number of Idaho residents crossing the state line for reproductive healthcare. He lauded the decision in a social media post on Thursday.

“Louisiana is preparing to criminalize the same safe abortion medication that we stockpiled in Washington to safeguard patients’ right to choose. “It is not the medication that is dangerous; it is Republicans’ anti-choice ideology,” Inslee stated.

Inslee did not explain how the stockpile is being used, but he did contend that governors have disproportionate power over abortion availability in their states.

Former President Donald Trump has attempted to take a more moderate stance on reproductive problems during the 2024 election cycle than he did during the 2020 election cycle, before the repeal of Roe v. Wade.

While Republicans were united in their opposition to abortion before the 2022 US Supreme Court decision, disagreements within the party have surfaced on how far restrictions should go now that there is no federal right to abortion.

Democrats have attempted to exploit the GOP’s present split on reproductive issues through campaign advertising and messaging centered on abortion rights. Republicans have responded by emphasizing the divide among Democrats on how to address Israel’s war actions in Gaza.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted in early March, abortion and contraception are considered as motivating issues by around half of Democratic voters. Whether Democrats can make abortion a winning issue will be decided by the electorate in November.