Wyoming Governor Blocks Ultrasound Rule for Abortion Pills

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican, has vetoed a bill that would have mandated ultrasounds for women seeking medication abortions. The governor expressed concerns about whether such a requirement is justifiable, especially in cases involving rape and incest victims.

In a statement released with his veto decision on Monday, Gov. Gordon remarked that enforcing an “intimate, personally invasive, and often medically unnecessary procedure” may not be reasonable. Advocacy groups for abortion access in Wyoming, which is notably the first state to attempt an explicit ban on medication abortions, commended the governor’s decision. Despite Gordon’s history of signing abortion restriction bills over the last three years, challengers viewed the veto as a positive step.

“Women should be able to access health care without facing undue and unnecessary obstacles,” stated Christine Lichtenfels, executive director of Chelsea’s Fund, an organization supporting abortion access. The proposed legislation would have required women to arrange ultrasound visits, forcing some to travel long distances in this predominantly rural state.

Currently, abortion remains legal in Wyoming, but this is pending a decision from the state supreme court, which is reviewing a lawsuit contesting existing bans. Abortion access has, however, declined since the state’s sole comprehensive abortion clinic stopped both medication and surgical abortion services last week. This follow-up to Gov. Gordon’s adhesion to a law mandating that surgical abortion clinics have surgical center licenses puts clinics like Wellspring Health Access in Casper on hold due to these new legal requirements.

The constraints are likely to lead more women from Wyoming to seek abortion services in neighboring states such as Colorado. Despite these restrictions, Wellspring Health Access retains its commitment to patients while the legal battles continue. Julie Burkhart, President of Wellspring Health Access, acknowledged Gordon’s veto with approval and affirmed the clinic’s ongoing support for its patients. “Wellspring Health Access remains open, and we have not—nor will we—abandon our patients,” she stated.

Wellspring is actively contesting the bans and new licensing conditions in court. The vetoed bill aimed to add further constraints to the majority of abortions in Wyoming, where research from the Guttmacher Institute indicates that in 2023, over three in five abortions in the U.S. utilized medication. Wyoming notably had pills make up 95% of its abortions during this period.

Medication for abortion is still accessible in Wyoming through online platforms and services like Just the Pill telehealth and other providers. A Jackson-based family medicine physician who has recently been providing abortion medication for patients did not provide immediate comment on whether they would continue following the veto announcement.