Wyoming — Abortion will remain legal in Wyoming after the state Supreme Court struck down multiple abortion restrictions, including the nation’s first explicit ban on abortion pills, ruling the laws violate the state constitution.
In a 4–1 decision issued Tuesday, the court sided with Wellspring Health Access, Wyoming’s only abortion clinic, along with advocacy groups and individual plaintiffs who argued the laws conflicted with a voter-approved constitutional amendment guaranteeing competent adults the right to make their own health care decisions. The justices rejected the state’s argument that abortion does not qualify as health care under the constitution, saying it was not the court’s role to narrow constitutional language.
The ruling invalidates two laws passed after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. One would have banned abortion except in limited circumstances such as rape, incest, or to save a woman’s life. The other would have made Wyoming the only state to explicitly outlaw abortion medication, though other states have effectively restricted abortion pills through broader bans.
Republican Gov. Mark Gordon criticized the decision and urged lawmakers to pursue a constitutional amendment banning abortion, which would require voter approval. Such a proposal would need a two-thirds vote in the Republican-dominated Legislature to reach the ballot.
Abortion access in Wyoming has remained in place since a district judge blocked the laws during earlier litigation. The Supreme Court ruling leaves room for additional clinic regulations to take effect, though those remain tied up in separate court challenges.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
