abortion

Wyoming recently became the first state to explicitly ban the use of pills for abortion. The new law comes as chemical abortion is in the national spotlight due to a legal battle over specific medications in Texas.

The state’s new law, referred to as the Life is a Human Right act, bans all abortions, expect in instances of rape, incest or dire risks to the pregnant patient’s life.It’s possible the ban could only be in place for a couple days. A group of abortion access advocates filed a legal challenge Friday morning in Teton County. They’re asking the judge to temporarily block the law while the case makes its way through the court.

A bill that defines abortion as not healthcare and criminalizes providers who perform abortions has passed both houses in the Wyoming Legislature. If signed by the governor, this bill immediately becomes law and the current abortion ban that is being held up in the courts will be void. Lawmakers for and against it have stated that this bill will most likely be immediately questioned.

Two bills related to limiting access to abortion were introduced to their second house of chambers committees and passed on Thursday, Feb. 23, just one day short of the deadline to come out of its second house committee. Although both passed with recommended amendments.

Last year, the Wyoming legislature passed a trigger ban that went into effect when Roe vs. Wade was overturned in June. That law is currently being challenged in court, so abortion is still legal in the state. One of the main arguments against the trigger ban is that it violates a certain section of the Wyoming constitution that's been on a lot of lawmakers' lips recently: Article 1, section 38: Right to health care access.

After much debate in the Wyoming House of Representatives, a bill that would enact even stricter abortion laws than another bill currently tied up in court passed on its third reading. An adopted amendment addressed some of the lawmakers' questions about the need for it.

The Mountain West region continues to be divided over abortion rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Some state lawmakers want to further protect the rights of people seeking abortion care, while others are looking to make it more challenging for residents to get the medical procedure.

The Wyoming House of Representatives passed a first reading of a bill that would create an even stricter abortion ban, however, some pro-life lawmakers feared its constitutionality.

Wyoming lawmakers are once again considering banning chemical abortions. The bill does not differ from the same one that was defeated at last year's legislative session. It targets four drugs that are used to induce an abortion in the first trimester.

Only a small minority of Wyoming residents support a total ban on abortion, but most residents support at least some restrictions.