HEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming Gov. Governor of Wyoming Mark Gordon signed Friday’s bill prohibiting abortion pills in the state. He also authorized a separate measure to restrict abortion to be made law without his signature.
Gordon stated in a statement that he was concerned that the Life is a Human Right Act, which Gordon referred to, would lead to a lawsuit that will “delay any resolution of the constitutionality” of Wyoming’s abortion ban.
He also noted that plaintiffs in a continuing lawsuit had earlier filed a challenge against the new law to ensure he didn’t issue a veto.
Gordon, a Republican, stated in a statement that he believes the question must be resolved as quickly as possible to resolve the Wyoming abortion issue.
After the Wyoming governor made his decision regarding abortion pills, they were front and center this week in Texas where a federal judge raised concerns about a Christian group’s attempt to reverse decades-old U.S. approval for mifepristone, a prominent abortion drug.
Antonio Serrano, Wyoming ACLU advocacy Director, criticized the governor for signing the law in a statement.
Serrano stated that a person’s health should be the guiding factor in important medical decisions, including whether to have an abortion.
The most common form is a two-pill combination consisting of mifepristone plus another drug.
Medication abortions were the preferred method to end pregnancy in the U.S. before when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade which was the landmark ruling that has protected abortion rights for almost five decades.
15 states have already restricted access to abortion pills. Six require an in-person doctor visit. These laws may be challenged in court; the states have always had control over how doctors, pharmacists, and other providers practice medicine.
Telemedicine consultations are also regulated by states. In general, this means that health professionals in states with restrictions on abortion pills may face fines or suspension of their license for sending pills by mail.
Already, women have traveled across state lines to access abortion pills in places that are easier for them. This trend is expected to continue.
The landscape has changed rapidly since Roe was reversed last June. Thirteen states now ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Georgia is the only state that bans it after cardiac activity can be detected. This ban applies to approximately six weeks of gestation.
Arizona, Indiana and Montana have been unable to enforce abortion bans in Arizona, Indiana or Montana. Idaho courts forced the state to permit abortions in medical emergencies.
