CNN
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California will stop all its enterprise with Walgreens, the retail drugstore chain, Gov. Gavin Newsom stated on Monday, days after the corporate introduced it could not dispense abortion medicine in 21 Republican-dominated states.
“California gained’t be doing enterprise with @walgreens – or any firm that cowers to the extremists and places girls’s lives in danger,” the Democratic governor tweeted. “We’re accomplished.”
Newsom’s pushback got here at an already fraught time for the way forward for medicine abortion, which is utilized in greater than half of all procedures nationwide, as a Texas choose weighs issuing a ban on Mifepristone, the primary capsule in a two-drug abortion routine. Walgreens had responded to authorized strain from Republican attorneys basic in 21 states – together with a handful the place abortion stays authorized – in deciding to partially halt its efforts to promote the drug.
“We intend to be a licensed pharmacy and can distribute Mifepristone solely in these jurisdictions the place it’s authorized and operationally possible,” the corporate stated final week in a press release.
Walgreens declined to touch upon Newsom’s tweet.
The conflict between Newsom and Walgreens, a large chain with 1000’s of shops across the nation, marks the newest spherical of fallout following the Supreme Court docket’s determination to overturn Roe v. Wade. The ruling, handed down in June of final yr, shook up nationwide politics forward of the 2022 midterms – with many Democrats crediting the backlash for serving to their candidates in robust, swing state and seat races – and sophisticated relationships between political and enterprise leaders.
It’s not clear precisely how California will search to chop ties with Walgreens.
A spokesman for Newsom didn’t instantly reply a query in regards to the sensible results of the governor’s announcement. Late final week, Democratic California state Legal professional Common Rob Bonta issued a press release slamming Walgreens for bowing to political strain from GOP officers.
“Medicine abortion is protected, efficient, and serves as a lifeline for folks in want of crucial care, particularly these from weak and underserved communities,” Bonta stated on Friday. “I’m disillusioned that Walgreens has determined to offer in to political strain from anti-abortion states, and reduce off entry to those mandatory and lifesaving medicines.”
The corporate on Monday sought to make clear its place, although their newest assertion solely added to the confusion.
“Walgreens plans to dispense Mifepristone in any jurisdiction the place it’s legally permissible to take action,” the corporate stated. Medicine abortion is authorized and accessible in states like Kansas and Iowa, amongst others, regardless of opposition from prime Republicans, who’ve threatened authorized motion.
In a letter addressed to Kansas Legal professional Common Kris Kobach, an anti-abortion Republican, from final month, Walgreens stated it “doesn’t intend to dispense Mifepristone inside your state and doesn’t intend to ship Mifepristone into your state from any of our pharmacies.”
Abortion stays protected underneath Kansas state legislation. Final summer time, the state voted overwhelmingly to dam efforts by lawmakers to ban the process following the Supreme Court docket’s determination to overturn Roe v. Wade lower than two months earlier.
The US Meals and Drug Administration stated in early January that pharmacies licensed to dispense Mifepristone can achieve this on to somebody who has a prescription from a prescriber.