Wyoming’s first-in-the-nation law to ban abortion pills has been temporarily blocked by a judge, bringing some relief to those fighting to protect women’s reproductive rights. The ban, which was set to take effect on July 1, was challenged by four women, two obstetricians, and two nonprofit organizations. These groups argued that the ban would cause harm to women before their lawsuit could be resolved.
In her ruling, Teton County Judge Melissa Owens stated that the plaintiffs had shown “probable success on the merits” and that the state’s attorneys had failed to prove that allowing the ban to take effect wouldn’t harm the plaintiffs. (apnews.com) The victory was celebrated by Wellspring Health Access, a nonprofit organization that opened as Wyoming’s first full-service abortion clinic in years following an arson attack in 2022.
The ban would have required women to undergo more invasive surgical abortions instead of using abortion pills, which are a less invasive alternative. Wyoming’s new abortion laws allow exceptions to save the life of the mother and for cases of rape or incest that are reported to the police. However, abortion for other reasons isn’t considered healthcare under the state’s constitutional amendment enacted in 2012.
The ban was challenged on the grounds that it violated women’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. Wyoming’s new laws were enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year. Since then, many women and teenagers have been subjected to stricter controls on ending their pregnancies or almost total bans on the procedure.
Judge Owens has now blocked three abortion bans signed into law by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. (apnews.com) The Republican governor appointed her, but she serves GOP-dominated Sublette and Fremont counties, as well as Teton County, an ultra-wealthy and not-so-Republican area many Wyomingites don’t see as representative of their state.
This ruling is a victory for women’s reproductive rights, but the fight is far from over. Women’s healthcare decisions should be left up to the individual, and not dictated by the state. The battle for reproductive rights will continue, but for now, women in Wyoming can breathe a sigh of relief.
