Justices will now hear a case on potential limits to access to mifepristone.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear its most consequential abortion rights case since it overturned Roe v. Wade, adding the possibility that a high court opinion could rock the nation months before voters head to the polls, and all but guaranteeing the issue remains top of mind going into the summer.
Justices will now hear a case on potential limits to access to mifepristone, a widely-used pill that is part of a two-course regimen can induce an abortion. They will hear the case next spring, setting up a potential ruling in June 2024, just as the presidential campaign is expected to heat up.
The case could have major implications. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for abortion rights, medicated abortions account for 54% of all abortions. If mifepristone cannot be used, research shows that using only misoprostol, the other drug that is often administered, can cause more side effects, NPR previously reported. Doctors say that even using misoprostol alone is still safe.
