AUSTIN, Texas — One company is mobilizing a billboard around Austin to help provide a resource on where to get abortion pills, birth control and emergency contraception.
In response to an Amarillo judge that may decide to block the use of mifepristone nationwide - an abortion pill that is used in over half of abortions - Mayday Health is ensuring Central Texans know where to get abortion pills.
"We're continuing to tell people that, even if mifepristone is banned, you can still get mifepristone and misoprostol in all 50 states," said Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, owner of Mayday Health.
Mayday Health is a nonprofit that connects people to health care providers, who then send the abortion pills through the mail. This practice is already illegal under Texas State law, but Lincoln said that her company isn't the one sending the pills - just making the connection between the patient and the provider.
Lincoln believes this practice is protected by the First Amendment.
"Abortion is healthcare and what we're doing is free speech," said Lincoln.
At the same time, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is fighting to keep abortion drugs out of the mail. Paxton and other republican attorney generals have sent letters to CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens, citing that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules allowing health care providers to mail abortion pills goes against a federal law.
Because of the letters, Walgreens announced that the company will not dispense abortion pills in at least 20 states - Texas included.
"We have responded to the state attorneys general letter to Walgreens dated February 1 by indicating we will not dispense Mifepristone in their respective states. We are not distributing Mifepristone at this time. We intend to be a certified pharmacy and will dispense Mifepristone only in those jurisdictions where it is legal and operationally feasible," a spokesperson for Walgreens explained.
The federal lawsuit in Amarillo was brought by a conservative group that argued the FDA approval for mifepristone is unsafe and should be removed. Lincoln explained that the fight against this case "presses on."
"The American value of allowing people the freedom, the liberty, the justice to make that decision themselves is the one we believe in, and the majority do as well," said Lincoln.
In a special session after the legislative session, State Sen. Stephanie Klick sponsored a bill in the Texas House banning delivery by mail for abortion pills. KVUE reached out to Klick for a comment, and have not heard back.
Mayday Health's billboards will be parked outside of the State Capitol on Saturday and Sunday.