A new measure filed by Texas State Rep.-elect Pat Curry would classify abortion-inducing drugs as controlled substances.
The proposed law would reclassify the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV substances under the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
“Abortion pills are the most common method by which abortions are performed in the United States,” said Kimberlyn Schwartz, director of media and communication for Texas Right to Life. “One in five women will suffer a complication due to taking an abortion pill, and one in 20 will have to visit the emergency room. Worse, every successful abortion will result in the death of an innocent baby.”
“Chemical abortions involve two drugs: the first, mifepristone, kills the preborn child by starving him or her to death, and the second, misoprostol, causes the woman to deliver the deceased baby,” Schwartz explained.
According to FDA approval guidelines, “Mifepristone can be used to abort a child up to 10 weeks,” Schwartz added.
A similar abortion pill reclassification law was enacted in Louisiana on October 1 and was authored by State Sen. Thomas Pressly. The lawmaker’s then-pregnant sister, Catherine Herring, was given an abortion drug without her knowledge, causing her daughter to be born 10 weeks premature.
The incident occurred in Houston, and Herring’s husband pled guilty to injuring a child and assaulting a “pregnant person.”
“I commend the Texas Legislature for introducing legislation to address the weaponization of abortion drugs,” said Pressly. “The reclassification of misoprostol and mifepristone as scheduled drugs enables healthcare providers to continue to prescribe them for legitimate healthcare purposes while limiting the ability of bad actors to obtain them.”
Under the Texas Controlled Substances Act, possession of a fraudulent prescription for Schedule IV drugs would result in a Class B misdemeanor, which can be punished by a fine of up to $2,000 or up to 180 days in jail.
The 2025 legislative session will begin on January 14.
