Columbus backs access to abortion pill Mifepristone

Columbus joined dozens of local governments in filing an appellate court brief Monday calling for access to Mifepristone, a medication used in terminating early-stage pregnancies.

Driving the news: The brief outlined the heightened health and financial costs low-income and medically underserved residents would face if the drug is banned, Sam Allard writes for Axios Cleveland.

• "Pregnant people will undergo invasive procedural abortion, will delay abortion care, terminate their pregnancies using alternative means that present additional risks … or may be forced to carry pregnancies to term against their will," reads the brief signed by Columbus city attorney Zach Klein.

Catch up quick: On April 21, the U.S. Supreme Court halted a Texas district court's ruling that blocked the FDA's approval of the drug.

• The Texas decision used anti-abortion rights rhetoric to argue that medication abortion has a "negative impact" and the agency's safety data on the pill is "potentially misleading."

What's next: The Supreme Court returned the case to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled a hearing for May 17. Access to Mifepristone will not change while the litigation proceeds.

Zoom in: Columbus' participation in the brief follows the city's $1 million investment toward residents' abortion access expenses and Klein's pledge to not enforce stricter abortions laws.

The other side: Attorney General Dave Yost is pushing for enactment of the Heartbeat Bill and recently signed a letter warning CVS and Walgreens against sending Mifepristone to patients through the mail.