Substance Abuse

“Late last week, the governor of Louisiana signed into law a bill that marks a first in the battle over reproductive rights in America: The state will categorize mifepristone and misoprostol, medication commonly used in abortions, as controlled dangerous substances. Possessing the drugs without a valid prescription will be a criminal offense that could carry up to 10 years in prison.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): A Chilling Effect of Louisiana’s Abortion Law.

+ It’s all part of a broad and relentless effort to do away with anything connected to abortion. NYT (Gift Article): The Untold Story of the Network That Took Down Roe v. Wade. “Nine days after Donald Trump won the 2016 election, the halls of the Mayflower Hotel, just blocks from the White House, were adorned with twinkling Christmas lights and abuzz with the possibilities of a future that had changed overnight. Hillary Clinton, the woman the anti-abortion movement feared more than perhaps anyone, had failed to win the presidency. And Leo and the conservative legal movement that he worked for years to create were about to reclaim power. With that power would come the chance to do what seemed unthinkable until this moment: strategize to take down Roe v. Wade.”

+ Trump’s transactional nature is why the Christian right will never drop him. You offer your support for him, and you get his support for what you want. That includes abortion laws. And there are plenty of other issues, too. Louisiana to become 1st state requiring Ten Commandments be posted in schools.

+ Meanwhile, “…even if she was aware, it’s unlikely Ashley would have been able to get an abortion in Mississippi; with heavy restrictions in effect and the high penalties on physicians who violate the abortion ban, it is unlikely she would have found a doctor willing to perform a procedure.” 13-year-old rape victim has baby amid confusion over state’s abortion ban.