What the federal abortion pill rulings mean for Kansas

Kansas clinics say they’ll continue to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone this week — but big questions remain.
WICHITA, Kansas — Two dueling federal court rulings over a key abortion drug won’t immediately shut down its use in Kansas — for now.

A federal judge in Texas ruled Friday to revoke the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone — used to end first-trimester pregnancies as part of a two-drug regimen along with the more commonly available misoprostol. Later that night, a federal judge in Washington state ordered the FDA to keep mifepristone available.

The order by Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas with a conservative track record, takes effect this Friday unless an appeals court intervenes. The Justice Department is appealing the ruling to the 5th Circuit. Legal experts say it’s likely the issue will escalate to the Supreme Court.