Gov. Newsom: California to cut ties with Walgreens over abortion pill sales

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that the state was cutting its ties with Walgreens after the drugstore company said it would not sell the abortion pill in 20 Republican-led states. 

“California won't be doing business with @walgreens -- or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women's lives at risk,” Newsom posted on Twitter. “We're done.”

The spokesperson for the governor, Brandon Richards, said that the state is currently reviewing all of its relationships with Walgreens. However, he declined to detail how business between the two would change.

“We will not pursue business with companies that cave to right-wing bullies pushing their extremist agenda or companies that put politics above the health of women and girls,” Richards said. 

Walgreens said in a statement that it plans to sell mifepristone “in any jurisdiction where it is legally permissible to do so,” after the Food and Drug Administration allowed retail pharmacies to sell the abortion pill in January. 

However, 20 Republican attorney generals warned Walgreens against selling the pill in their states, claiming that the pharmacy would risk breaking the law if it distributed the pills. 

Walgreens said it still planned to become certified to sell the abortion pill but agreed that it would not sell or mail the pill in their states, including those where abortion is legal, according to a company spokesman. 

Mifepristone was approved to use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and is commonly prescribed to treat women who have miscarriages.