Albany, NY – In response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision to reject a bid to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, released the following statement:

“Today's unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court to keep mifepristone on pharmacy shelves across the country is a small but necessary step. In the wake of the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, it is critical that we ensure women throughout the country are able to access reproductive care. Despite abundant evidence proving that mifepristone is both safe and effective, over half of the nation continues to make it incredibly difficult to access this medication.

Last year, medication-based reproductive care accounted for more than half of all such procedures in the country, underscoring the importance of this accessibility for communities of color and low-income communities struggling to access this type of care. This lack of access is a longstanding result of systemic racism, with more than half of all patients seeking reproductive care in the country identifying as Black or Hispanic and almost half of all such patients living below the poverty line. The Supreme Court's decision will help these communities access this medication and improve their quality of life overall. While this ruling is positive, it is the bare minimum, and there is still potential for more lawsuits down the road. We cannot leave these vital health care decisions up to the whims of conservatives and their funders. We need federal action.”