WCVB | Gov. Healey says abortion pill will remain available in Mass. regardless of Supreme Court's decision

By Sharman Sacchetti
Story Originally Appeared on WCVB

BOSTON — The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to take up its biggest case involving abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.

The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug mifepristone, asking the high court to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks.

"I hope the Supreme Court does the right thing, which is to protect women's access to needed health care and medication abortion," said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.

Healey pledged Wednesday to make sure the drug will still be available in Massachusetts. The state has stockpiled a two-year supply of mifepristone, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago.

"We're going to make sure that medication abortion remains legal, safe, accessible (and) available to people in our state. It's why we bought boatloads of this earlier," the governor said.

Abortion opponents argue that the FDA did not do enough to study the safety of mifepristone. Doctors contend that if the Supreme Court upholds the appellate ruling, the decision could have ramifications outside of abortions.

"It's more likely that your miscarriage won't be able to be treated with just medication and that you would need a surgical procedure when we have really good, safe, effective medication management," said Dr. Erika Werner, the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts Medical Center.

The organization Massachusetts Citizens for Life praised the Supreme Court's decision to hear arguments, stating: "Women deserve to know their options when faced with unplanned pregnancies, instead of being sold lies and rushed into all-too-easy, often unsafe, and irreversible decisions."

Abortion rights groups in Massachusetts remain concerned.

"We don't have faith on how they will rule on anything abortion-related, but we really hope they will follow the science in this case," said Rebecca Hart Holder, the executive director of Reproductive Equity Now.

The case will be argued in the spring, with a decision likely by late June, in the middle of the 2024 presidential and congressional campaigns.