Mississippi Approves Bill Criminalizing Abortion Drug Distribution

Mississippi lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that would criminalize the distribution or intent to distribute abortion-inducing medications within the state, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison for those convicted. The measure, now headed to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for his signature, adds restrictions on drugs such as mifepristone and misoprostol to an existing drug trafficking proposal.

The legislation passed the Republican-controlled House 76-38 and the Senate 37-15. Supporters, including Rep. Celeste Hurst, a Republican from Sandhill who introduced the amendment, described it as a necessary step to prevent out-of-state providers from sending the medications into Mississippi and bypassing the state's abortion ban. "The intent is to keep doctors from out of state from circumventing our current law," Hurst said.

The bill targets the use of these drugs specifically for inducing abortions, exempting prescriptions in clinical settings for other purposes, such as managing miscarriages or stopping postpartum hemorrhaging. However, legal experts warn that the language remains vague, particularly around proving intent, which could lead to unintended prosecutions. Mary...