DENVER — Two contradictory rulings from judges have thrown the future of mifepristone into question, which is a pill used for medication abortion that has been available for more than two decades.
A federal judge in Texas ruled that a hold be put on the pill, while a federal judge in Washington, D.C. ruled to keep the pill in at least 17 states, including Colorado.
It's expected that the conflicting decisions will head to the Supreme Court.
"Thankfully, here in Colorado, we have representatives and advocates that do know the value of Coloradans, and are doing their best to ensure those protections, but it's not the same across the country," said Aurea Bolaños Perea, the strategic communications director of the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR).
Bolaños Perea believes that if the rulings are upheld there will be an influx of people from out-of-state seeking access to abortions in Colorado.
“If anything, we are prepared to meet the moment. We feel confident that we will be able to distribute medication to whoever needs it," she said. “We learned from a very difficult place last year about what happens when we remove a federal protection.”
Last year when Roe v. Wade was overturned, Colorado experienced a 33% increase in abortions between April and August of 2022, according to the Society of Family Planning.
