California Governor Gavin Newsom has never been shy about thumbing his nose at red states, but this time he went nuclear—publicly and profanely—after Louisiana dared to enforce its abortion laws.

The clash centers on extradition. Louisiana officials are seeking custody of doctors accused of mailing abortion-inducing drugs into the state, allegedly violating Louisiana criminal law. Newsom’s answer? A flat refusal—and a four-letter message to the state’s top law enforcement officer.

“Louisiana plans to sue me because I won’t extradite a doctor for providing an abortion,” Newsom wrote on social media. “@AGLizMurrill: Go f*ck yourself. California will never help you criminalize healthcare.”

That vulgar outburst came just hours after Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced plans to sue California—and New York—for blocking extradition requests involving abortion providers accused of breaking Louisiana law.

Last month, Murrill revealed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Dr. Remy Coeytaux, a physician residing in Sonoma County, California. According to Louisiana authorities, Coeytaux mailed abortion pills to a Louisiana woman who ordered them online after learning she was pregnant in 2023.

Coeytaux has been charged with “Criminal Abortion by Means of Abortion-Inducing Drugs.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) made the state’s position clear on social media, stating that he would seek Coeytaux’s extradition from California.

“Louisiana’s request is denied,” Newsom responded.

But California isn’t the only blue state playing defense. Murrill also announced plans to sue New York, where Governor Kathy Hochul (D) is similarly refusing to extradite Dr. Margaret Carpenter. Carpenter was indicted in Louisiana last year for allegedly mailing abortion medication to a teenager. She, too, faces charges of “Criminal Abortion by Means of Abortion-Inducing Drugs.”

Murrill blasted both governors for what she described as a direct challenge to constitutional order and state sovereignty.

“Kathy Hochul and Gavin Newsom are not above the Constitution, and we will hold them accountable. The Supreme Court’s precedents on important Constitutional provisions like the Extradition Clause and the Full Faith and Credit Clause forbid this assault on Louisiana’s sovereignty and her citizens,” Murrill said in a statement on Thursday.

At the heart of the dispute are so-called “shield laws” passed by progressive legislatures after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In 2023, California enacted a telemedicine abortion shield law designed to protect in-state doctors from out-of-state prosecutions, explicitly barring extradition for alleged violations of other states’ abortion statutes. New York expanded its own shield law last year “to strengthen protections for patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care.”

These laws effectively create sanctuary states for abortion providers, allowing them to bypass the laws of conservative states with impunity—all while daring those states to challenge them in court.

Now Louisiana appears ready to do just that, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle over federalism, extradition, and whether blue-state governors get to decide which laws count and which don’t.