What the legal battle over mifepristone means for Illinois

Abortion Pill — People march through downtown Amarillo to protest a lawsuit to ban the abortion drug mifepristone on Feb. 11, 2023, in Amarillo, Texas. A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in a high-stakes court case that could threaten access to abortion medication and blunt the authority of U.S. drug regulators.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons

What does the legal battle over abortion pill mifepristone mean for Illinois?

Some Illinois lawmakers and service providers are getting ahead of the curve and creating plans to guarantee access to the key abortion drug.

People march through downtown Amarillo to protest a lawsuit to ban the abortion drug mifepristone on Feb. 11, 2023, in Amarillo, Texas. A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in a high-stakes court case that could threaten access to abortion medication and blunt the authority of U.S. drug regulators.

Justin Rex

By Micah Yason Michael Liptrot

Mifepristone is used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S. But access to the common abortion medication is now in jeopardy, after a federal judge in Texas ruled the Food and Drug Administration improperly approved mifepristone more than 20 years ago.

Reset digs into the legal battle over the abortion pill and discusses plans Illinois lawmakers and service providers have to protect access to the drug in the state.

GUESTS: Lee Hasselbacher, director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago)

Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois