Abortion will remain legal in Wyoming after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that laws banning abortions—including the nation’s first explicit ban on abortion pills—violate the state constitution.
In a 4-1 ruling, the Supreme Court justices—all appointed by Republican governors—upheld a lower court decision that also declared the bans unconstitutional.
The justices sided with Wellspring Health Access, the state’s only abortion clinic, along with other plaintiffs who argued that individuals have the right to make their own health care decisions without undue interference from the state. This effectively turned conservative lawmakers’ own legislation against them.
In 2012, in response to the Affordable Care Act (often referred to as Obamacare), conservative lawmakers supported a constitutional amendment that codified: “Each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions.”
Lawyers for the plaintiffs used this broad language to argue for women’s right to abortion access, and the Supreme Court agreed.
Pro-life advocates are now likely to push for a change to the constitutional language, potentially through a voter referendum, in order to reintroduce legislation that could restrict or ban abortion. Republican Governor Mark Gordon has expressed disappointment with the ruling and called for such an amendment to be placed before voters.
One response to “Pro-Choicers Rejoice After Wyoming Supreme Court Strikes Down Abortion & Abortion Pill Ban”
Then that would mean the unborn child has no constitutional rights. And it would mean that anything and everything that could relate to one’s health, that is currently illegal, would necessarily have to be legalized.
They’ve essentially argued that one person has the right to flat-out cold-blooded murder another, if it is deemed, in his or her own opinion, to affect his or her health, directly or indirectly.