This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
The Wyoming Supreme Court has denied a petition from the state to rehear an abortion case.
In a Feb. 18 court filing, justices provided little explanation of their decision in the hotly debated case. Justice
This relates to the court striking down two near-total abortion bans as unconstitutional last month, and the state argued that the court made mistakes. The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office asked the court to weigh in on whether an “unborn baby” has a constitutionally-protected right to life, among other points.
Wyoming officials and members of the Freedom Caucus also responded by accusing the court of being too liberal. During the current budget session, some lawmakers attempted to change how justices are appointed, though that legislation failed to move forward.
In the State of the Judiciary address at the start of this year’s budget session, Chief Justice Lynne Boomgaarden defended the judicial branch.
“There is no greater threat to a stable system of government than weakening the judicial branch for political gain,” Boomgaarden told a crowd of lawmakers, justices and executive branch leaders.
The state Supreme Court has now closed the abortion case. Only Justice Bridget Hill was recused since she was the Wyoming Attorney General when the case was heard. Former Chief Justice Kate Fox instead weighed in on the case, since she heard it last spring before retiring.
Lawmakers are now advancing legislation to ban abortion when there’s a “medical fetal heartbeat,” which could be interpreted as a six-week ban.
