Alabama Makes It Illegal to Have Abortion-Inducing Drugs
Multiple conservative US states have gotten rid of or badly limited the right for abortions. Now, Louisiana becomes the first to make gaining abortion pills much harder. People found with these medicines can be fined or even imprisoned.
The parliament in Louisiana has passed a bill to make it difficult to obtain abortion pills. The Senate in this southern state approved this law with a 29-7 vote. Two days before that, they had already passed the legislation with a large majority in the House of Representatives. This bill would label mifepristone and misoprostol, two medicines used for abortions, as "dangerous substances" and make their possession illegal.
Punishments for possessing these medicines could be a five-year prison sentence and a $5000 fine (about €4600). However, doctors who have licenses and pregnant women who need these drugs for themselves are exempt from these rules. The governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, only needs to sign the bill for it to become a law. It's expected that Landry, a Republican, will give his permission. If that happens, Louisiana would be the first state to classify abortion pills as "dangerous" and harshly restrict their use. Joe Biden, the US president, called this decision in Louisiana "unbelievable."
Abortion a big topic in the US election race
Biden blames Donald Trump, a possible opponent in the election, for this. He mentioned Trump having nominated three conservative judges to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court restricted the legal right to abortion nationwide in 2022 after about five decades. Now, each state can make its own laws on abortion. About 20 conservative states have now either banned or greatly limited abortions. "This is a frightening time for women in America," said Biden.
Trump may attempt to make Louisiana's and other states' decisions into a "nationwide reality" if he wins again, warned Biden. Abortion rights are central to the Democrats' election campaign. They want to attract many women voters by promoting liberal laws. Abortion is a hard issue for Trump. He has a significant fan base in conservative Christian groups that fiercely oppose abortion.
Even though Trump is proud of getting a strong conservative majority on the Supreme Court, polls indicate that most people want liberal abortion rights. This makes it tricky for Trump to discuss his views on the matter. In April, he said he had "strong views" on mifepristone and would tell the world about them in a week. However, he still hasn't revealed these views to the public.
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- Joe Biden criticized Donald Trump for his role in restricting abortion rights in several US states, including Louisiana, which is set to become the first to classify abortion pills as "dangerous" and heavilyregulate their use.
- Despite the conservative lean of many US states, including Louisiana, which has passed a bill to make obtaining abortion pills more difficult, a significant proportion of the population supports liberal abortion rights.
- Women's rights advocates in the USA are particularly concerned about recent developments in states like Alabama and Louisiana, where access to medication-induced abortions is becoming increasingly restricted, with potential consequences for women's health and autonomy.
Source: www.ntv.de
