(The Center Square) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is calling on Congress to take federal action against states that shield abortion pill providers from prosecution, joining a coalition of 16 Republican attorneys general seeking to curb the shipment of abortion-inducing drugs into states where abortion is illegal.
In a letter sent to congressional leaders this week, Murrill and her counterparts argue that certain “shield laws” passed in Democrat-led states, such as California and New York, undermine states’ rights by protecting individuals who send abortion pills — like mifepristone — into states that prohibit their use.
“Out-of-state abortion pill peddlers are violating the criminal laws of Louisiana and other states across the country that choose life,” Murrill said. “They aren’t providing health care, they’re drug dealers.”
The multistate letter, led by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, asks Congress to consider legislation that would preempt state-level shield laws, which have been enacted to prevent civil or criminal liability for providers who facilitate abortions across state lines.
The letter claims these laws conflict with the U.S. Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause and the Extradition Clause by refusing to recognize the judicial proceedings of other states.
“These laws are blatant attempts to interfere with states’ ability to enforce criminal laws within their borders and disrupt our constitutional structure,” the letter states. “Congress should assess whether it should tackle this issue head-on with legislation that preempts state shield laws.”
Murrill also reiterated her ongoing objection to the Food and Drug Administration’s 2023 decision to relax regulations for mailing mifepristone, which she argues puts women at risk, especially in cases of undetected ectopic pregnancies.
“These drugs are dangerous if not dispensed in person and put women in danger of having to go to the emergency room,” Murrill said. “If the FDA won’t act, Congress must.”
The coalition includes attorneys general from Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming, in addition to Arkansas and Louisiana.
The call for congressional action follows the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned regulatory power over abortion to individual states.
