Raoul Issues Statement After Federal Judge in Washington Bars Federal Government from Taking Action to Reduce Access in 18 States
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement after a federal judge in Washington issued an order reiterating that his injunction protecting access to mifepristone in Illinois and 17 states remains effective, notwithstanding recent orders from courts in Texas. “My office proactively filed a lawsuit in the state of Washington to preserve access to mifepristone in Illinois because in our state, we believe that patients have a right to access medication abortion that has been safely and effectively used by millions of patients for more than two decades. This afternoon, the federal court presiding over the case issued an order clarifying the preliminary injunction it issued Friday, which prevented the FDA from restricting access to mifepristone.
“Today’s order could not be more clear: Regardless of recent orders from federal courts in Texas, the order out of Washington supersedes, and mifepristone will continue to be available in the 18 states participating in the pending litigation. Because my office did not hesitate to join the federal lawsuit in Washington, mifepristone is available in Illinois and will continue to be available in Illinois without the restrictions Texas courts have attempted to reinstate.
“I continue to closely monitor these cases as they move quickly throughout the courts, and I am committed to using all available tools to protect access to abortion in Illinois and around the country.”
