Amy Bryant MD

Dr. Amy Bryant has filed a lawsuit in North Carolina that may impact nationwide access to some abortion pills.

According to ABC News, Bryant is seeking to have the state strike down it’s restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone.  Bryant says the restrictions do not coincide with rules set forth by the Food and Drug Administration.

Bryant told ABC News that she filed her lawsuit because there’s “no medical reason for politicians to interfere or restrict access” to mifepristone.  Bryant’s lawyer, Eva Temkin, argued federal rules for the drug preempt state regulations when the two conflict.

The lawsuit names North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein as a defendant.  A spokesperson for Stein told ABC News that they were reviewing the complaint.  Advocates in favor of abortion rights are hopeful that this kind of “federal preemption” case will test a new legal strategy that could be applied in other states.  They also see North Carolina as a hopeful place to try it out. While Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature, the administration is run by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

The full story is available here.