Louisiana AG Sues Blue States Over Abortion Pill Shield Laws

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, joined by her counterparts in Alabama and Arkansas, has filed two lawsuits challenging the legality of abortion pills entering states that have banned the procedures. One suit targets providers accused of distributing the drugs, while the second challenges legal protections in New York, California, and Massachusetts that Murrill alleges shield these providers from prosecution.

"This is drug dealing and it's illegal," Murrill told Fox News Digital. "And we're going to continue to do everything that we can to enforce the laws in our states."

The legal actions, filed Wednesday, represent an escalation of the state-by-state battle over abortion access following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion policy authority to individual states.

The lawsuit against New York, California, and Massachusetts seeks to dismantle the "shield laws" that Murrill contends prevent cooperation with investigations into abortion pill providers. She stated that these laws are comprehensive and prohibit officials from assisting other states in enforcing judgments related to abortion conduct.

Louisiana has previously attempted to prosecute New York physician Margaret Carpenter and California physician Remy Coeytaux for allegedly prescribing abortion drugs that were sent into Louisiana. However, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and California Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly refused to extradite the doctors. The Supreme Court complaint noted Hochul's refusal, stating she declared there was "no way in hell" she would comply with Louisiana's request. New York subsequently strengthened its shield law, including provisions that allow prescribers of abortion drugs to remain anonymous on prescription labels.

Newsom also rejected Louisiana's extradition request for Coeytaux in January, asserting California would not assist other states in penalizing doctors for providing abortion access legal within California. Governor Newsom had previously responded to Murrill's intent to sue by stating, "Go f*** yourself. California will never help you criminalize healthcare."

Murrill responded to Newsom's comments by drawing a parallel to illegal gun trafficking, stating, "I think that if I sent guns into their states illegally, they would certainly try to come after me." She added, "We are going to take down those laws using every tool that we have at our disposal."

The second lawsuit directly targets what Murrill describes as the "pill pipeline." The complaint alleges that providers used online questionnaires to gather customer information before mailing abortion drugs into states where their distribution is prohibited. Some organizations, the states contend, acknowledged violating these states' laws while relying on shield laws for protection.

Murrill stated that investigators have conducted controlled purchases, receiving pills packaged in small bags, sometimes in quantities she claimed exceeded typical prescriptions. "We've seen it for ourselves," Murrill said. "There's no supervision, there's no healthcare, there's no communication whatsoever. It's all done online."

Murrill also raised concerns about the potential for individuals other than pregnant women to obtain the drugs, citing cases in Louisiana where women were allegedly pressured or deceived into taking abortion medication. She described one incident where a father allegedly put abortion medication in his daughter's smoothie, leading to a premature birth and the infant fighting for its life in intensive care.

Louisiana has also separately challenged federal rules that removed an in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone. Murrill indicated a desire for increased action from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser supported the litigation, accusing blue states of using their laws to "obstruct justice." She urged the Justice Department to resolve Louisiana's separate litigation concerning the FDA's regulations.

"Democrats’ pro-abortion extremism has brought this country to a crisis point," Dannenfelser said in a statement. "Abortion activists flagrantly sell dangerous drugs across state lines and women and children pay the price, with more and more survivors of ‘death in a pill’ bravely coming forward."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the governors' offices in New York, California, and Massachusetts for comment.