CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A state judge has ruled against Wyoming’s comprehensive ban on abortion and its unique ban on the use of medication for terminating pregnancies.

District Judge Melissa Owens of Teton County issued her ruling on Monday, aligning with her prior decisions over the last two and a half years that had temporarily blocked the enforcement of these laws during legal deliberations.

The law in question, which Judge Owens determined infringed upon women’s rights as protected by the state constitution, prohibited abortions except when necessary to save a pregnant individual’s life or in instances of rape or incest. Additionally, the state was the only one to articulate an explicit ban against abortion pills, although similar restrictions have emerged in other states through broad anti-abortion legislation.

The bans were contested by a group of four women, which included two obstetricians, alongside two nonprofit organizations. One of these organizations, Wellspring Health Access, recently opened the first full-service abortion facility in Wyoming in April 2023, following a significant setback due to an arson incident in 2022.

The plaintiffs asserted that the bans posed a threat to their health, well-being, and financial stability, a contention that was challenged by state attorneys. Furthermore, they highlighted that the bans contradicted a 2012 constitutional amendment, which states that competent residents of Wyoming should have the autonomy to make their own health care choices—an argument that Owens found compelling.

This amendment was approved by Wyoming voters amid concerns regarding governmental overreach following the introduction of the federal Affordable Care Act, which initially mandated individual health insurance coverage.

In their defense, state attorneys argued that the amendment did not encompass abortion as part of health care. The parties involved sought a ruling from Judge Owens on the legal challenge against the abortion bans, preferring this resolution over a potential trial that was scheduled for spring. As a result of her recent decision, a previously planned three-day bench trial will no longer take place.