Wyoming has become the first US state to ban the abortion pill
Wyoming on Friday became the first US state to ban the abortion pill, the latest development in a campaign by conservative states to limit access to abortion.
After signing into law the abortion pill ban, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon called on lawmakers to take the next step by proposing to add a comprehensive ban on abortion to the state constitution and submit it to voters for approval.
“I believe this issue, the issue of abortion in Wyoming, needs to be resolved as soon as possible, and the best way to do that is by a vote of the people,” the Republican governor said in a statement.
Wyoming’s action comes after the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on abortion last year, and anti-abortion groups across the country have stepped up efforts to ban them altogether.
A federal court decision in Texas is also pending, where a possible nationwide ban on the popular abortion pill is expected to be issued soon.
This pill, mifepristone, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over a decade ago and has been available legally for years.
Texan judge Matthew Kacsmarykas could order that this abortion pill be withdrawn from the national market.
Texas lawmakers are also considering a proposal that would not only ban abortion pills, but also require internet service providers in the state to block access to websites that sell these pills through the mail.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned a 1973 ruling that established abortion as a constitutional right, anti-abortion activists have sought ways to enact a nationwide ban.
About 15 states already restrict access to mifepristone by requiring a doctor to prescribe it, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization.
Source: The Delfi
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