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Wyoming Supreme Court Overturns Abortion and Pill Bans in 4–1 Ruling

The majority relied on a 2012 constitutional amendment that guarantees adults control over their own medical decisions.

Overview

  • The court struck down a 2023 near‑total abortion ban and the nation’s first explicit medication‑abortion ban as unconstitutional under Wyoming’s healthcare‑rights amendment.
  • Chief Justice Lynne J. Boomgaarden authored the 4–1 majority opinion, with Justice Kari Jo Gray dissenting.
  • Plaintiffs included Wellspring Health Access, Chelsea’s Fund, and four women, two of whom are obstetricians, who argued the laws infringed the state’s 2012 amendment.
  • Governor Mark Gordon called for lawmakers to send a constitutional amendment to voters in 2026, a move that would require action in a short budget session and broad legislative support.
  • Separate statutes on surgical‑center licensing for clinics and mandatory ultrasounds remain blocked in ongoing litigation, leaving some restrictions unresolved.