Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on May 4 that the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a stay temporarily blocking a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that would have restricted access to mifepristone, an abortion medication. Mayes joined a coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia in urging the Supreme Court to take this action.
The issue matters because mifepristone is widely used in medication abortions, and changes to its availability could affect millions of people across the United States who rely on it for reproductive health care. The case also raises questions about state authority over abortion access following recent federal court decisions.
“Today’s stay from the Supreme Court is a critical — if temporary — victory for the women of Arizona and across this country who depend on mifepristone for their health care,” said Attorney General Mayes. “But the same forces that have worked to dismantle reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision continue to use every available legal avenue to deny women access to abortion. I will not stop fighting to ensure that every Arizonan can access reproductive health care.”
Mifepristone has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 2000, with an estimated 7.5 million people having used it safely in combination with misoprostol through ten weeks of pregnancy. In recent years, telehealth options have expanded significantly; by 2025, about 27 percent of abortions were provided via telemedicine compared with five percent in 2022.
Mayes and other attorneys general argue that reinstating requirements for patients to obtain mifepristone in person would limit telehealth services and place new burdens on clinics already facing high demand—especially after states took steps following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to protect or expand abortion rights locally.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office addresses issues such as elder abuse, civil rights violations, and unsolved crimes through its cold case unit, contributing to community protection across the state according to the official website. It functions as Arizona’s primary legal entity providing advocacy and protection according to its official website, while also participating in federal lawsuits and supporting initiatives like fair housing enforcement according to its official website.
Kris Mayes serves as Arizona’s 27th attorney general—the first mother in state history elected or appointed as attorney general according to its official website. The office delivers comprehensive legal services statewide according to its official website and acts as Arizona’s chief legal office with broad responsibilities according to its official website.
Mayes was joined by attorneys general from New York, California, Massachusetts, Washington State, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Virginia—and Pennsylvania’s governor—in filing their brief urging continued access via telehealth during ongoing litigation.
