CHEYENNE—Following the House’s lead, the Wyoming Senate voted Wednesday to override Gov. Mark Gordon’s veto of a bill that requires patients seeking abortion medications to first undergo a transvaginal ultrasound and a 48-hour waiting period.
The bill will go into effect immediately.
Gordon vetoed House Bill 64, “Chemical abortions-ultrasound requirement,” Monday night, citing concerns over the bill’s invasive nature and its lack of exceptions for victims of rape and incest.
A transvaginal ultrasound uses a wand-like device inserted into a woman’s vagina to detect a fetus.
“Every year we continue to lose unborn babies in Wyoming,” Gordon wrote in his veto letter. “Making it easier for mothers to have babies in Wyoming and supporting them afterward is a far better course. Mandating this intimate, personally invasive, and often medically unnecessary procedure goes too far.”
Veto overrides require a two-thirds vote. The House voted 45-16 Tuesday to override Gordon’s veto before the Senate did so Wednesday in a 22-9 vote.
Neither override vote was identical to the final votes on the bill before the measure was sent to Gordon. Several more lawmakers voted against the bill in both the House and the Senate when it came time to override Gordon’s veto.
Evanston Republican Sen. Wendy Schuler voted for the bill on third reading but against overriding the governor. Like Gordon, Schuler said she struggled with the bill because of its implications for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and victims whose pregnancy is caused by rape or incest.
“Having taught for a lot of years, I actually had a couple students in this situation,” Schuler said. “The decisions weren’t made by them. They were made by their parents. But if they would have had to have gone through what we’re asking them to do right now and be retraumatized, revictimized, I would feel really bad about that.”
Sen. Gary Crum, R-Laramie, had previously brought an unsuccessful amendment to waive the transvaginal ultrasound requirement “unless expressly requested by the pregnant woman.”
Without such an amendment, the bill was flawed, Crum said.
“I’m going to be for the override, but this bill needs some work,” he said.
Buffalo Republican Sen. Barry Crago also voted for the veto override, but expressed concerns from a legal perspective.
Wyoming’s two 2023 abortion bans — both of which Crago voted for — are currently held up in court, awaiting a state Supreme Court decision after a Teton County District Court judge ruled they were unconstitutional in November.
“If all we’re doing is making it so the court case lasts another two years, we are not doing our job,” Crago said.
Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, said he felt supporters of the bill had shifted the debate Wednesday.
“This bill is supposed to be about women’s health, and none of the debate just now really focused on women’s health,” Rothfuss said.
Instead, Rothfuss said, the debate indicated the bill was really about something else.
“So what we know is that right now, abortion is legal in Wyoming. And this is trying to find an end run, to recognize, ‘All right, well, if it’s legal, then let’s make it difficult, let’s make it painful, let’s make it traumatic, let’s make it harrowing.’ Then we can accomplish the same objectives without actually having to illegalize it,” Rothfuss said.
Speaker of the House Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, was the ultrasound bill’s main sponsor. Earlier in the session, he said the legislation was needed to keep patients safe while abortion remains legal, while also pointing to a desire to prevent abortion.
“I do, I absolutely believe life is precious. That we should do everything that we possibly can to protect it,” Neiman said on the House floor.
Hours after Gordon signed a separate bill last Thursday to enact several regulations on clinics that perform abortions, the state’s one facility to do so — Casper’s Wellspring Health Access — challenged the law in court.
Wellspring preemptively aimed part of that complaint at the ultrasound regulation and asked a judge to hold an emergency hearing as soon as possible. At publishing time, the hearing had not yet happened.
Thank you for your excellent reporting on this topic. With the comment by one legislator that none of the override discussion addressed women’s health, the bottom line of the abortion discussion was expressed. Opposition to abortion is mainly by males, and is characterized by a broad ignorance of pregnancy and its effect on women’s lives, health and well being. Fortunately for Wyoming women, Colorado is a doable drive from most Wyoming locations. God have mercy on all who voted for this override.
My personal opinion is there are multiple pregnancy preventions. It is a women’s right to NOT get pregnant. I feel if that they should see what they are getting rid of. I have had friends that had abortions and later in life when they decided to have kids ither they could not conceive or when they saw thier wanted baby on ultra sound, they than regretted what they had done, realizing a fetus moves and has feelings in there. I feel having an ultrasound before abortion is educational so you know actually what your baby is at that stage.
Wyoming legislators — forcing doctors to rape women with ultrasound devices.
This is what happens when you have more uneducated people voting. College should be free, not just for a career but for all the benefits of an educated population. It’s easy to fool ignorant people.
Very good comment,Cynthia Budge! Exactly! -where are the men who got these women pregnant with unwanted pregnancies? Where is their culpability? Oh—I forgot… it’s mostly men who are writing and supporting these laws.
In addition – those who are anti-abortion sure bury their head in the sand once children are born. Supporting a leader who says he’s anti abortion but yanks the aid and healthcare to the world’s innocent children and the poverty stricken in our own country is simply NOT Pro-Life.
A lot of time and money and heartache in an issue that shouldn’t even be! Leave these very personal issues up to the people directly effected, WOMEN! None of anyone else’s business!
I love the state of Wyoming but your politicians are making it hard for me to want to vacation there anymore. Trampling all over women’s rights to decide what is right for them sure isn’t what my impression of the state was.
This is invasive and should be up to the person seeking the abortion. In the case of rape and incest victims you are mentally and physically retraumatizing the victim.
Just another blatant attempt to persecute women . That’s Disgusting, Wyoming!
Way to go, Wyoming Taliban . Pass an anti-abortion bill thinly disguised as a women’s health safety procedure… mandate the woman to endure the traumatic somewhat intrusive procedure , then cruelly and coldly don’t offer one dang dime to help pay for it.
I hope someone invents a cold steel unisex wand that can be inserted to detect a viable Soul. Line up, bend over, and spread ’em, Freedom Caucus Taliban.
I’m surprised the lawmakers don’t require they be present for the procedure. Sick puppies.
I agree that this bill is an attempt to make abortion harder for all women a d keep it in the hands of the government. Govern.ent doesn’t know all the specifics of a women’s personal life. Why are you trying to save embryos?
They are NOT a life until they breath on their own
Abortions are done
soon and wanted children are not aborted. They have parents to love them not government supported subsidies. I think we have enut ppl in the US and any abortions will not affect populations.
Wanting to cut SNAP benefits is certainly not in alignment with anti abortion reasoning.
Please work on more important issues than controlling women and people. A suggestion…corperations not paying fair wages and the Federal minimum wage.
These anti-freedom-caucus zealots will tell you that their legislating of reproductive rights are to “protect women”. The Taliban say the same thing about burkas. They are to protect women.
Chemical abortions are still legal in Wyoming. Make no mistake, HB 42 is not meant to improve patient care. Speaker of the House and author of this bill, Chip Newman admitted his bill is to stigmatize and interfere in a woman’s choice to terminate her pregnancy.
If this legislature is so intent on interfering in women’s reproductive rights, then where is the legislation to assist her when she does not have the financial means for an unwanted pregnancy? And affordable daycare, so she can work to support herself and the baby she has been forced to have? How about funds to help with legal costs to ensure the man pays for his involvement in an unwanted pregnancy?
Pregnancy is personal…NOT POLITICAL! I want the choice of legal access to a chemical abortion to be available for women…without government interference and mandates. Women are more than capable of making decisions about their lives and reproductive rights and should not be constantly attacked or marginalized for these decisions. I say no to going backwards. To that time when women were deemed to only be capable of having babies and staying at home to take care of them.
Now the next hurdle…SF0125 Defining health care and protecting the people’s welfare. This one is legislating that abortion is not health care. Let’s hope Governor Gordon vetoes it.
It is time for Wyoming’s extremist elected lawmakers who call themselves the freedom caucus to hear from all Wyoming women about what freedom means to them. Freedom from having a “wand” inserted into their bodies after they have made the very personal and serious decision to end a pregnancy — this is before they are “allowed” to follow the law and choose a chemical (pills) abortion. How does this procedure ” keep the patient safe”? This unnecessary, extremely invasive procedure is designed to punish females. Do you see this group pushing bills for Medicaid expansion or early childhood education, anything that would improve the quality of life for infants or children? Please, if you believe the legislators have gone too far, let them know by mailing each yes voter your used tampons and pads. This will be more heartfelt than emails and postcards.
This legislation will do nothing but cause more emotional pain and trauma while doing nothing to address the issue of unwanted pregnancy. Do the authors and legislators affirming this bill actually believe that by mandating this totally unnecessary procedure they will, by obstructing women’s healthcare, suddenly convince a 16 year old rape victim (or any other women’s unwanted pregnancy for that matter) to instead decide to take her pregnancy to term? The result is merely more trauma. If we can all agree that we would like to prevent unwanted pregnancies, then why don’t we as a state and society promote real sex education, remove stigmas from contraception, prevent sexual abuse and support healthy families. This is the most disingenuous piece of legislation yet, and there is some serious competition this year.
Senators in Wyoming Senate were sent there to vote what people of Wyoming want, not them personally.
Vote correct or leave.
We must run them out of office – with our vote of course.
Prurient interest.
Only the Freedumb Caucus can require the reporters on Wyoming Public Media to repeatedly say vagina and transvaginal ultrasound because that is where all of these freedom loving legislators are living now. We do know that if they have a wife or daughter that requires this female health care, they will be the first to drive them over the boarder for care. Your party forces women to have these babies in desperate circumstances and demand no followup care or help. This party is trying to control the entire state with a truly anti-Christian, brutally oppressive and invasive style. If you are a white man in power and not my doctor, could you step aside please and consider this under the heading of none of your business. And for the sake of keeping anyone remaining in the pews, keep Jesus out of your comments. The only time Jesus became truly angry was at the moneychangers – see the similarity to your cult leader in DC.
Disgusting. This procedure is an invasion of these women’s bodies and will further traumatize these women. It is unconstitutional and I hope there is an honorable judge that will take this matter on. Shame on you legislators (especially women) for passing this legislation.
I’m so old, I can remember when Republicans promised to get government out of our personal lives.
I love this state that I have adopted as my home. Yet, the people in power here are continuing to do things that are deeply disgusting. All this ruling does is punish women for punishment sake, and of course, leaves men (who MUST be involved in creating a “life”) completely out of the conversation. Of course. Disgusting.
Maggie, in your previous, similar article you included this relevant piece of information, that you left out of this one.
“”Abdominal ultrasounds are also used to evaluate pregnancies, but transvaginal ultrasounds provide clearer images in early pregnancy.””
Better quality, clearer images of a developing human being would be medically relevant.
I have a feeling you would see it differently if it was applied to you.
Any rational person would want the BEST quality/clearest medical imaging they can get.
Then you get those that base medical decisions based on POLITICS.
We have seen it for generations in the USA, increasing to it’s zenith in the last 5 years.
Not when you want an abortion.
Ob docs don’t think they are needed. They can determine the gestation by an abdominal exam, and ectopic pregnancies are diagnosed and treated without them. It’s just republican legislators who are demanding them to interfere with a woman’s right to determine her own healthcare.
What a sad state of affairs! But no surprise coming from the State that takes pride in having given Trump his biggest margin of victory. The women who voted for this should be subjected to the exact same procedure; the men voting for this should be subjected to a mandatory prostate exam with an ultrasound wand.
What a sad state of affairs! But no surprise coming from the State that takes pride in having given Trump his biggest margin of victory. The women who voted for this should be subjected to the exact same procedure; the men voting for this should be subjected to a mandatory prostate exam.
This is inhumane! To be raped, then raped AGAIN? These are mostly men making this up- I wonder… if they were victims of rape— would they want a wand inserted in their ——- to see if they had anything up there? Let’s see… ???
And what does this invasive procedure do to the fetus if there is one? Do you people have any brains? Maybe we should pass a law that a wand be stuck up every lawmakers nose to see if there is actually a brain up there?
The Wyoming Office of the Attorney General, Division of Victim Services (DVS) will pay for expenses incurred as a result of the sexual assault for a victim who chooses not to report the assault to law enforcement. This payment includes expenses for the emergency room, the emergency physician, the forensic evidence collection examination, STD and pregnancy testing, and EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION.
And the girls and women who can’t report at all? Little children who face sexual abuse but don’t even realize what’s happening could get them pregnant? The wife who can’t without getting beat by an enraged spouse?
Simply another invasion into a woman’s autonomy. The pro-birth after you’re born you’re on your own party.
It’s a sad day for Wyoming. Falling back into the human legacy of willful ignorance, superstition, cruelty and oppression fueled by blinding self-righteousness. I am astounded by the arrogance and hubris that has lead one group to impose their narrow view of life onto others. Even to the extent to mandate unnecessary bodily intrusion to impede safe independent medical decisions. Many religions have always thought their version of life was THE right version, but in Wyoming, for generations, we thought it best to mostly let others live by their own conscience. What has changed in this state that now a rigid self righteous minority successfully dictates personal and profound life changing medical decisions?
What a shameful lot of fake christians.
I am so sick of this. The “Freedom” caucus again has shown that they take AWAY your freedom. Let’s just get down to it… I believe we should change the state Motto from “the equality state” to ” white man’s country”. That way we know at a glance who the priority is in Wyoming.
If you are doing everything to protect life of the unborn does that include prenatal care emotional support for the mother taking care of her and supporting and raising the child ? If not the millstone is around your neck.
The drive to MT and CO just got a little more crowded. This is a bottom feeder bill written with a cruel hand and a violation of a woman’s sovereignty over her own body. Beelzebub is prepping a special suite for WY supporters of this travesty.
“So what we know is that right now, abortion is legal in Wyoming. And this is trying to find an end run, to recognize, ‘All right, well, if it’s legal, then let’s make it difficult, let’s make it painful, let’s make it traumatic, let’s make it harrowing.’ Then we can accomplish the same objectives without actually having to illegalize it,” Rothfuss said.
Exactly!
Having read all of the (considerable number of) well-spoken, educated and mostly compassionate comments on this seriously disturbing, dangerously invasive bill, I would say that Wyoming citizens have spoken—both women and men, (and incidentally this mirrors Wyoming voters’ overall support for keeping abortion legal).
I am reminded of a question then-Senator Kamala Harris posed to Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings on the subject:
“Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body?” This bill is about domination by a few misinformed, misguided people feeling their power over the rest of us, and it will not stop women from seeking abortion. But it will lead to any number of consequences, including severe mental health impacts and increased suicide, physical harm or death from botched surgical abortions by back alley butchers, and at a minimum increased financial burden on already struggling young women or single mothers trying to support the children they already have.
Instead of taking away a basic right for a decision only a woman in this predicament can make for herself, lawmakers should focus on issues that really could make a difference in people’s lives, such as Medicaid expansion, childcare for all, and early childhood development, and yes maternal healthcare in the state which is on the edge of collapse!