Contradictory rulings put WA at center of national abortion debate

A federal judge in Eastern Washington Friday ordered U.S. officials to keep a key abortion pill legal. The move came within an hour after a Texas judge issued a preliminary injunction suspending FDA approval for the same drug — mifepristone.

The pill at the center of both cases is one of the most widely used methods for terminating pregnancies.

The Texas ruling could have effectively banned mifepristone in all 50 states.

The preliminary injunction issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice in Spokane preserves access to the drug while an 18-state lawsuit led by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson continues. The lawsuit challenges FDA restrictions on mifepristone that limit access to the pills.

In the wake of Friday's rulings, Ferguson told KUOW that mifepristone will remain legal and accessible in Washington and the other 17 states who took part in the lawsuit.

But that's not the case nationwide, Ferguson said.

"I've made it a priority in my office to not just be involved but to really lead a national effort to preserve that access here in Washington state and not leave it to this radical judge in Texas to determine the state of reproductive freedom for women here in Washington state when the people of our state have voted again and again to preserve access to reproductive freedom," Ferguson said.

Ferguson also commended Gov. Jay Inslee for purchasing a three-year supply of mifepristone in anticipation of the Texas ruling.

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Ferguson said it's possible the conflicting federal cases would have to be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court.