A Wyoming judge has blocked a new state law that bans abortion beyond the earliest stages of pregnancy, while a lawsuit challenging the provision continues. This marks the first court ruling affecting abortion's legal status in Wyoming since the state Supreme Court struck down sweeping abortion and abortion pill bans in January, ruling those laws violated the state constitution.
Court Ruling Details
Natrona County District Judge Dan Forgey granted a temporary restraining order against the new law on Friday, which would ban abortion after embryonic cardiac activity can be detected. Forgey wrote that the law is likely to be overturned on similar grounds as the previous bans.
Reactions from Clinics and Advocates
Wellspring Health Access, Wyoming's only abortion clinic, and other challengers welcomed the ruling. Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access, stated, "For nearly two months, this deeply harmful abortion ban has greatly reduced our ability to provide care to people in Wyoming."
Context of Abortion Bans Across the US
Currently, 13 states enforce bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with rare exceptions. Four others—Iowa, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina—have bans that take effect at six weeks' gestation or when cardiac activity is detected, often before women realize they are pregnant. These bans have been enforceable since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, shifting legal battles to state constitutions.
Wyoming's Constitutional Context
The Wyoming Supreme Court previously found that abortion bans passed by the state Legislature violated a 2012 voter-approved constitutional amendment affirming competent adults' right to make their own healthcare decisions. In response, the Republican-dominated Legislature passed the new ban, which Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican, signed into law in March. Gordon stated on Monday that Wyoming should be able to uphold the law by "proving a compelling interest to protect human life" and called for lawmakers to pass a state constitutional amendment banning abortion for voters to consider.
Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
