Louisiana Legislature Approves Bills Criminalizing Possession of Abortion Pills Without Prescription: Implications and Controversy

New Orleans, Louisiana United States of America
Doctors must have specific license and store drugs in certain facilities, potentially creating access issues for rural clinics
First-in-the-nation legislation could be a model for other red states grappling with abortion regulations
Louisiana Legislature approves bills criminalizing possession of abortion pills without prescription
New legislation makes abortion pills controlled dangerous substances in the state
Supporters argue it will protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions, but critics warn it could create barriers and increase deaths among postpartum women
Louisiana Legislature Approves Bills Criminalizing Possession of Abortion Pills Without Prescription: Implications and Controversy

In a recent development, the Louisiana Legislature has approved bills that would criminalize the possession of abortion pills without a prescription. The legislation, which now heads to Gov. Jeff Landry's desk for signing, makes abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) controlled dangerous substances in the state.

The move comes after Louisiana lawmakers banned mailing abortion drugs in 2022 with a penalty of up to 10 years, but some organizations outside the state's jurisdiction have been working around that regulation. The new legislation aims to further prevent residents from obtaining these medications without proper authorization.

Supporters argue that this measure will protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions. However, numerous doctors warn that it could make it harder for them to prescribe the drugs for other reproductive health care needs, creating a barrier and potentially increasing deaths among postpartum women.

The first-in-the-nation legislation could be a model for other red states grappling with how to stop their residents from traveling out of state to get abortion pills or ordering them online despite their abortion bans. The new rules will require doctors to have a specific license and store the drugs in certain facilities, which may be located far from rural clinics.

The bill was supported mainly along party lines, with all five women senators voting in favor of it. However, some critics argue that this legislation could create unnecessary fear and confusion among both patients and doctors.

Louisiana is not the first state to take such a stance on abortion pills. In 2019, Indiana passed a law making it a felony for women to obtain or self-induce an abortion, but the law was later blocked by federal courts. Other states have also introduced similar legislation.

The debate surrounding these bills highlights the ongoing controversy over reproductive rights and access to healthcare in the United States. As this issue continues to evolve, it is essential for individuals to stay informed about their state's laws and regulations regarding abortion.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential unintended consequences of this legislation that have not been considered?
  • Could the new regulations make it more difficult for doctors to prescribe abortion pills for other reproductive health needs?
  • What are the specific penalties for individuals found in possession of abortion pills without a prescription?

Sources

75%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Louisiana poised to become 1st state to make abortion pills a controlled substance

Axios News Site: https://www.axios.com/2024/01-30/prior-authorization-gap-insurer-drug-decisions Chelsea Brasted Thursday, 23 May 2024 18:34
  • Unique Points
    • Louisiana state lawmakers voted to send a bill to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk, making two abortion medications (mifepristone and misoprostol) controlled substances.
    • A person in Louisiana caught with these medications without a prescription could face up to 10 years in prison.
    • Louisiana will be the first state to classify these medications as Schedule IV drugs.
  • Accuracy
    • Abortion, including using either of the two medications, is already banned in Louisiana.
  • Deception (0%)
    The author makes several deceptive statements in this article. First, she states that 'Abortion, including using either of the two medications, is already banned in Louisiana.' This is a lie by omission as the article does not mention any exceptions to this ban or any ongoing legal challenges. Secondly, the author quotes Sen. Thomas Pressly stating 'But I truly believe this is the right step for making sure that the criminal action on the front end is stopped.' This statement can be considered editorializing and pontification as it implies that criminal actions are being taken with these medications, but no evidence or facts are provided to support this claim.
    • Abortion, including using either of the two medications, is already banned in Louisiana.
    • But I truly believe this is the right step for making sure that the criminal action on the front end is stopped.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to emotion with the use of the phrase 'unconscionable' by Vice President Kamala Harris. This is a form of emotional fallacy.
    • Vice President Kamala Harris called the bill 'unconscionable' on X when it cleared the state House of Representatives on Tuesday.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

82%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Louisiana is set to make possessing abortion pills without a prescription punishable by up to 10 years in prison

Politico News Site Name: POLITICO Full Legal Name of News Site: Politico LLC Location of News Site: Washington D.C., USA Thursday, 23 May 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Louisiana lawmakers have approved legislation making the possession of abortion pills without a prescription a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
    • GOP Sen. Thomas Pressly introduced the legislation after his sister’s husband tried to end her pregnancy by spiking her drinks with abortion pills.
  • Accuracy
    • Abortion is illegal in Louisiana except to save the life of the mother and in cases of lethal fetal anomaly.
    • The number of abortions performed annually in the US rose by 11% since 2020, with nearly two-thirds being medication abortions.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article does not clearly state that the author has an opinion on the legislation, nor do they misleadingly present it as a fact. However, there is selective reporting in terms of only mentioning the negative consequences of the bill without providing context or quotes from those who support it. Additionally, there is a lack of disclosure regarding sources.
    • The first-in-the-nation legislation could be a model for other red states grappling with how to stop their residents from traveling out of state to get abortion pills or ordering them online despite their abortion bans.
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority when it mentions the Guttmacher Institute's data on the increase in abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned. However, no fallacies were found that significantly impacted the overall integrity of the article.
    • ] The number of abortions performed annually rose in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.[/
    • Data from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights advocacy group, found that...
  • Bias (95%)
    The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political, religious, ideological or monetary position. However, the author does use language that could be perceived as depicting those who obtain abortion pills without prescriptions as extreme or unreasonable. The author states that 'people who obtain those pills don't always have prescriptions for them, particularly if they are mailed from overseas.' This statement implies that obtaining abortion pills without a prescription is an unusual or problematic behavior. Additionally, the author quotes Ellie Schilling stating 'That should be unimaginable in America.' This quote could be perceived as depicting the creation of a database to monitor women's pregnancies as extreme or unreasonable. However, these instances do not significantly impact the overall neutrality of the article.
    • That should be unimaginable in America.
      • ]The people who obtain those pills don't always have prescriptions for them, particularly if they are mailed from overseas.[
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      80%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Louisiana lawmakers send bill that would classify abortion drugs as controlled dangerous substances to governor’s desk

      CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Piper HudspethBlackburn, Thursday, 23 May 2024 18:02
      • Unique Points
        • Louisiana lawmakers have given final approval to a bill that would classify abortion-inducing drugs misoprostol and mifepristone as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances.
        • The legislation makes it a crime to give abortion medication without consent and imposes felony charges and fines for possession without a valid prescription.
        • The bill's sponsor, Republican state Sen. Thomas Pressly, proposed it after his sister was given misoprostol against her will.
      • Accuracy
        • Louisiana will be the first state to classify these medications as Schedule IV drugs.
        • Abortion is illegal in Louisiana except to save the life of the mother and in cases of lethal fetal anomaly.
        • Violators of the bill could face up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
      • Deception (30%)
        The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The authors focus on the criminalization aspect of the bill without providing a balanced perspective. They quote critics but do not provide equal weight to supporters' arguments. The title itself is emotionally manipulative, implying that the lawmakers are trying to 'send' something to the governor's desk, rather than accurately reporting that they have passed a bill which now awaits his signature. Additionally, there are emotional quotes from individuals who may be negatively impacted by the bill.
        • Louisiana lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would classify the abortion-inducing drugs misoprostol and mifepristone as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances in the state, placing them in the same category as highly regulated drugs such as narcotics and depressants.
        • Victoria, a New Orleans woman who flew across the country to get a medication abortion in 2023 because of Louisiana’s ban on the procedure, said she felt 'trapped and dehumanized' when she heard the bill passed through the state Senate.
        • The bill sparked outcry from a group of nearly 270 Louisiana physicians, health care providers and medical students, who signed a letter to Pressly expressing concerns over the reclassification. They argued that 'neither mifepristone nor misoprostol have been shown to have any potential for abuse, dependence, public health risk, nor high rates of adverse side effects.'
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The authors make an appeal to emotion when they quote Sarah Zagorski's statement about the bill being intended to 'stop the abortion industry from profiting off of abuse and trafficking of vulnerable women through their flagrantly illegal distribution of pills.' This is an example of an appeal to emotions fallacy as it attempts to elicit a strong emotional response rather than presenting logical arguments. The authors also use inflammatory rhetoric when they describe the abortion industry's actions as 'flagrantly illegal.'
        • the intention of the bill is to stop the abortion industry from profiting off of abuse and trafficking of vulnerable women through their flagrantly illegal distribution of pills.
        • flagrantly illegal
      • Bias (95%)
        The authors express their opinion that the bill is a way to protect expectant mothers and stop the abortion industry from profiting off of abuse and trafficking of vulnerable women. They also quote Sarah Zagorski, communications director for Louisiana Right to Life, who praises the GOP lawmakers for their intention to stop the abortion industry from profiting off of abuse and trafficking. These statements demonstrate a clear religious bias against abortion.
        • Sarah Zagorski, communications director for Louisiana Right to Life, praised the GOP lawmakers that supported the bill in a statement Thursday.
          • The bill is a way to protect expectant mothers.
            • This intention of the bill is to stop the abortion industry from profiting off of abuse and trafficking of vulnerable women.
            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication

            78%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            Louisiana Republicans vote to criminalize possession of abortion pills

            The Hill News Site: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate-seethe-republicans-call-for-israeli-elections/ Nathaniel Weixel Thursday, 23 May 2024 18:57
            • Unique Points
              • Louisiana Republicans have passed a bill that designates abortion pills as dangerous controlled substances.
              • Violators of the bill could face up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
              • Abortion is almost entirely banned in Louisiana with only a few exceptions allowed.
            • Accuracy
              No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
            • Deception (30%)
              The article by Nathaniel Weixel contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author only reports details that support the Republican's position of criminalizing possession of abortion pills without disclosing the full context or implications of the law. For instance, he fails to mention that Louisiana already has a near-total ban on abortions, making possession of abortion pills illegal under existing law. He also does not mention that women can still obtain these pills from providers in blue states protected by telehealth shield laws. Furthermore, the author uses emotional manipulation by including the story of Sen. Thomas Pressly's sister to elicit sympathy and support for the bill without providing any context or evidence that this incident is representative of a wider issue. The article also fails to disclose sources.
              • The bill will add mifepristone and misoprostol to Louisiana’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, which regulates drugs that can be highly addictive such as opioids, ephedrine and antidepressants.
              • But women are still able to get the pills in the mail from providers in blue states protected by telehealth shield laws.
              • Possession of abortion pills without a prescription could soon be illegal in Louisiana after Republicans in the state Legislature passed a first-of-its-kind bill that designates the pills as dangerous controlled substances.
            • Fallacies (80%)
              The author makes an appeal to emotion when referencing the story of Sen. Thomas Pressly's sister and the crime committed against her. This is an informal fallacy as it attempts to elicit an emotional response from the reader rather than presenting facts.
              • ] state Sen. Thomas Pressly (R) was motivated to act because his sister was the victim of a crime in which her then-husband secretly spiked her drink with misoprostol in 2022 to stop her pregnancy.[
              • The legislation “does NOT prohibit these drugs from being prescribed and dispensed in Louisiana for legal and legitimate reasons,” she added.
            • Bias (80%)
              The author expresses a clear bias against the legislation in question by stating that it will create a chilling effect and adds more hurdles for prescribers and pharmacists. He also quotes abortion rights advocates who express their opposition to the bill. The author also implies that the legislation is unnecessary as women can still obtain the pills in other states through telehealth shield laws.
              • Abortion rights advocates said the legislation will create a chilling effect and adds more hurdles for prescribers and pharmacists.
                • The author implies that the legislation is unnecessary as women can still obtain the pills in other states through telehealth shield laws.
                  • The bill will add mifepristone and misoprostol to Louisiana’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, which regulates drugs that can be highly addictive such as opioids, ephedrine and antidepressants. The bill categorizes them as Schedule IV, meaning possession would be illegal for anyone who doesn’t have a prescription or is a licensed provider.
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication
                  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication

                  76%

                  The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                  (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                  A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                  Louisiana Legislature approves bill classifying abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances

                  The Associated Press News Thursday, 23 May 2024 17:32
                  • Unique Points
                    • Louisiana Legislature has approved a bill classifying abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) as controlled and dangerous substances.
                    • Supporters of the reclassification say it would protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions, but numerous doctors argue it will make it harder for them to prescribe the medicines for other reproductive health care needs.
                    • Current Louisiana law already requires a prescription for both drugs and makes it a crime to use them to induce an abortion, in most cases.
                    • The bill would make obtaining the pills more difficult by placing them on the list of Schedule IV drugs under the state’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law.
                    • Doctors would need a specific license to prescribe the drugs and they would have to be stored in certain facilities that could be located far from rural clinics.
                    • More than 200 doctors in Louisiana signed a letter warning that the measure could create a barrier to physicians prescribing appropriate treatment and cause unnecessary fear and confusion among both patients and doctors.
                    • The bill was supported mainly along party lines, with all five women senators voting in favor of it.
                  • Accuracy
                    • The bill is expected to be signed into law by the governor.
                    • Abortion, including using either of the two medications, is already banned in Louisiana.
                  • Deception (30%)
                    The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author only reports on one example of coerced abortions happening in Texas, implying that it is a common occurrence when it is not. The author also quotes Democratic Sen. Royce Duplessis expressing concern about the potential harm to maternal health outcomes in Louisiana, but does not provide any context or counterargument from supporters of the bill. This creates an emotional response without providing a balanced perspective.
                    • The purpose of bringing this legislation is certainly not to prevent these drugs from being used for legitimate health care purposes, I am simply trying to put safeguards and guardrails in place to keep bad actors from getting these medications.
                    • There’s a reason we rank at the bottom in terms of maternal health outcomes, and this is why.
                    • Supporters of the reclassification of mifepristone and misoprostol say it would protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions, though they cited only one example of that happening, in the state of Texas.
                  • Fallacies (85%)
                    The author makes an appeal to authority by citing the example of Texas in justification for the need to protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions. However, only one example is given and it does not directly relate to Louisiana. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the legislation as 'absolutely unconscionable' without providing any reasoning or evidence for this claim.
                    • “There have been several cases similar to Herring’s reported by news outlets over the past 15 years, though none of those cited were in Louisiana.”
                    • “You know you’re doing something right when @KamalaHarris criticizes you.”
                  • Bias (80%)
                    The author does not demonstrate any overt bias in the article. However, there are a few instances where the language used could be perceived as biased towards those who support the reclassification of mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances. For example, when describing Sen. Thomas Pressly's motivation for pushing for this legislation, the author states that 'Pressly said both the bill and the amendment were motivated by what happened to his sister Catherine Herring of Texas.' This language implies that Pressly's personal experience is a valid reason for supporting the legislation, which could be seen as biased towards those who hold similar views. Additionally, when describing opposition to the legislation, the author states that 'The move has been strongly criticized by Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris,' which could be perceived as biased against Democrats. However, these instances of potential bias do not significantly impact the overall content of the article and do not detract from its accuracy or objectivity.
                    • The move has been strongly criticized by Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
                      • ]You know you're doing something right when @KamalaHarris criticizes you.[/
                      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                        None Found At Time Of Publication
                      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                        None Found At Time Of Publication