Federal Judge Allows 3 States to Proceed With Legal Challenge to Abortion Pill Regulations

A Texas judge has allowed three states to continue their legal challenge against FDA policies on the abortion pill mifepristone.

A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on, Oct. 12, 2022. Charlie Riedel/AP Photo

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that three Republican-led states can proceed with their legal challenge to federal regulations governing the abortion pill mifepristone, potentially shaping the future of access to chemical abortions nationwide.

The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Jan. 16, grants Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho permission to file a new, amended complaint against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA previously argued in court filings that the states lacked standing to pursue their claims.