One of the key groups behind the overturning of Roe v. Wade has filed another anti-abortion lawsuit, this one in Texas.
Alliance Defending Freedom sued the FDA last week to reverse federal approval of mifepristone, a medication that can terminate an early pregnancy. The lawsuit was filed in Amarillo within the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on behalf of the rightwing legal group and several other plaintiffs, including anti-choice OB-GYN’s. By filing in Amarillo, the lawsuit will likely wind up under a Trump-appointed judge.
The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000. Medication abortion, which includes a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, is extremely safe. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 37 percent of abortions in 2017 were medication abortions. In addition to passing a near-total abortion ban, Texas has also banned medication abortion after seven weeks.
Alliance Defending Freedom is one of the largest organizations committed to curtailing abortion access and LGBTQ rights. They masterminded the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that ultimately led to the reversal of Roe.
Texas has been the epicenter of legal challenges from rightwing groups on a variety of issues beyond abortion, including DACA and the Affordable Care Act.
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
