Cheyenne, WY (AP) — Wyoming’s sole abortion clinic is set to resume services following a judge’s suspension of two state laws on Monday.
The first suspended law mandates that clinics providing surgical abortions operate as outpatient surgical centers, while the second requires women to undergo an ultrasound prior to a medication abortion.
Casper’s Wyoming Health Access initially halted abortion services on February 28th, the day after Governor Mark Gordon signed the licensing regulations into law.
As a result, many women seeking abortions were compelled to travel out of state. However, services are now available once again in central Wyoming, although the legality of the two suspended laws remains under court scrutiny, according to the founder and president of Well Spring Health Access, Julie Burkhart.
AP Audio: Abortions resume at Wyoming Clinic after judge suspends the law
Associated Press Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports on the reopening of abortion services in Wyoming.
“We’ll broadcast this news far and wide and ensure our patients are informed,” Burkhart commented after the ruling. “We are ready to see patients just like we did on February 27th.”
Opponents of abortion questioned the necessity of challenging the laws if the clinic adheres to safety protocols. “If the abortion clinic in Casper can demonstrate it provides safe services by complying with the law, wouldn’t that be their argument?” asked Ross Schliftman of Natrona County’s Right to Life in a Monday email.
Despite the ban enacted in 2022, abortions remain legal in Wyoming. This includes a pioneering ban on abortion drugs.
In November, a judge in Jackson blocked the ban amidst ongoing legal challenges. The state constitution’s 2012 amendments uphold the right of capable adults to make their own healthcare decisions.
The Wyoming Supreme Court is reviewing that case, but a decision may not come until at least a few weeks from Wednesday.
In the meantime, four women, including members of the Chelsea Fund and an abortion access advocacy group alongside two obstetricians, have filed a lawsuit against the same parties contesting the ban to block Wyoming’s latest abortion laws.
The surgical center licensing mandates extensive renovations, which Well Spring Health Access claims are financially burdensome, as noted in its lawsuit.
Governor Gordon denounced the ultrasound requirement at least 48 hours before a medication abortion, emphasizing that it could be burdensome in cases of abuse, rape, or when a woman’s health is at risk. Lawmakers voted to override his veto on March 5th.
While the ultrasound requirement had minimal impact on clinic operations, access to Well Spring Health was curtailed to avoid legal dilemmas in providing medication abortions. The law is deemed likely to elevate costs and complications for women seeking abortions.
Opponents of such regulations in Wyoming label these laws “obstacles for abortion providers,” arguing that even if abortion remains legal, these regulations can substantially limit access to clinics.
While the lawsuit advances, District Judge Thomas Campbell of Casper ruled that blocking the law might also infringe upon constitutional rights.
Despite these new restrictions, Well Spring Health Access continues to provide consultations to patients and offer hormone replacement therapy to transgender individuals. The clinic opened in 2023, nearly a year after suffering extensive damage from an arson attack.
Source: apnews.com