New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill to protect doctors who prescribe abortion pills. The law allows medical professionals to request that their names be omitted from prescription labels. Instead, the name of their healthcare practice will be listed.
The legislation was passed in response to the indictment of Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York physician, by a Louisiana grand jury. Carpenter and her company were charged for prescribing abortion pills to a pregnant minor in Louisiana through telemedicine. Louisiana prosecutors claimed the girl experienced complications and was taken to a hospital. The girl’s mother was also charged.
Authorities in Louisiana identified Carpenter because her name was printed on the medication label. Governor Hochul emphasized that the new law prevents such situations in the future.
“After today, that will no longer happen,” Hochul said while signing the bill.
Hochul also made it clear that she would not sign any extradition request to send Carpenter to Louisiana. She is advocating for additional legislation to ensure pharmacists follow doctors’ requests to omit their names from prescriptions.
The case against Carpenter is significant because it marks the first time a doctor has been indicted for prescribing abortion medication to a patient in another state since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Louisiana has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country. Performing or assisting in an abortion, including via medication, can result in up to 15 years in prison and a $200,000 fine. District Attorney Tony Clayton stated that Carpenter could be arrested in states with similar restrictions.
This is not the first legal battle Carpenter has faced. In December, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued her for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a woman in Texas. However, no criminal charges were filed in that case.
Pro-choice advocates view Hochul’s move as a crucial step in protecting reproductive healthcare providers. Opponents argue that the law interferes with states’ rights to enforce abortion bans.
With legal battles over abortion access continuing across the U.S., Hochul’s actions reinforce New York’s stance as a safe haven for reproductive healthcare.
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