Hirschauer: SCOTUS Must Protect Reproductive Health Medications

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. — State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, joined more than 600 other representatives from across the country to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to defend access to mifepristone, which can safely end a pregnancy and treat miscarriages.

“As far-right judges and groups push regressive, anti-choice policies, we will continue to push back and reaffirm the fundamental right to bodily autonomy,” Hirschauer said. “This drug has been a safe and reliable option for countless Americans for over 20 years. We will not sit idly by as this becomes less available to those who need it most. I am proud to join 48 other Illinois House and Senate members to reaffirm the right to choose.” 

Hirschauer co-signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the high court to reject a right-wing judge’s effort to restrict access to mifepristone, which can be used to end a pregnancy or treat a miscarriage. The judge’s initial ruling not only diminishes a provider’s ability to prescribe mifepristone over the phone, online or through the mail but also lowers the period in which someone can access the drug. Typically, at-home pregnancy tests are reliable after four weeks of a missed menstruation cycle. If the Supreme Court upholds the lower court’s ruling, the time limit would decrease from ten weeks to seven weeks. 

Hirschauer has a strong history of fighting for the right to choose. She passed the Patient and Provider Protection Act, legislation introduced to counter the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. Additionally, Hirschauer worked to expand access to emergency contraception, keep sensitive information out of the hands of politicians who seek to prosecute women seeking reproductive healthcare in Illinois and allow patients to receive hormonal birth control over-the-counter.