Moore says Maryland will defend reproductive rights amid abortion pill lawsuit in Texas

BALTIMORE -- Access to an abortion pill nationwide is on the line as people wait for the ruling from a Texas judge. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says his state is ready to protect reproductive rights for women there.

In the biggest challenge to abortion rights since Roe V. Wade was overturned in June, anticipation is building in Texas as a federal judge gets ready to make a ruling that could potentially restrict access to a widely used abortion pill nationwide. 

More than half of all abortions in the nation are medication abortions. The pill commonly used, called Mifepristone, has been on the market for over 20 years. 

A Trump-appointed judge in Texas recently heard arguments challenging the FDA's approval of the pill and whether to ban sales of the drug - even in states where it remains legal.

The pill is currently available by mail even in states where abortion is illegal. The FDA argues Mifepristone is safe and effective and is approved up to the tenth week of pregnancy. 

"What people are asking for is not just say that the FDA was incorrect in approving Mifepristone, not just for this district in Texas, but nationwide," said CBS News legal analyst Jessica Levinson. 

Governor Moore called the lawsuit an attack on women's rights to make their own health decisions. 

In a statement, the governor said reproductive freedom is non-negotiable. He added that Maryland will do everything it can to protect reproductive rights.

"Attempts to restrict access to mifepristone are not based on scientific justification—these are nothing more than politically motivated attacks to dismantle women's rights to make decisions about their own health care," Moore said.

Moore says Maryland remains a safe haven for abortion along with reproductive health care access. 

The governor said Attorney General Anthony Brown is taking action by joining in on a multi-state lawsuit challenging restrictions on the pill.  

The Texas judge said he would issue a decision on the lawsuit "as soon as possible."