The Wyoming legislature passed a near-total ban on abortions last March based on the hope that the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in the Dobbs case, which it did. The bill, known as a “trigger” law because its official status would be triggered by the demise of Roe and Casey, has been certified by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and goes into effect on July 26.
The law, also known as H.B. 92, prohibits abortion except in the case of rape, incest, or “when necessary to preserve the woman from a serious risk of death or of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including any psychological or emotional conditions.” It also prohibits any taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortion except in the latter instance of risk of death or impairment of a major bodily function.
H.B. 92 replaces the previous law that banned abortions after viability, with exceptions for the life and health of the mother.
Gov. Gordon tweeted: “I have certified HB 92 following the Attorney General’s analysis. I believe that the decision to regulate abortion is properly left to the states. As a pro-life Governor, my focus will continue to be on ensuring we are doing all we can to support mothers, children and families.”
Predictably, pro-abortion groups expressed strong sentiment against the new law.
“Thanks to Wyoming’s trigger law, Wyomingites will have fewer rights than people in other states. A person’s health, not politics, should guide important health care decisions, including the decision to have an abortion,” said Libby Skarin, ACLU of Wyoming campaigns director, as reported by The Associated Press.
Preborn Wyomingites, however, will be delighted in their new-found right to life.
Photo from Shutterstock.
