Today, Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed House Bill 148, legislation that would have placed burdensome and medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers and clinics with the goal of forcing them to shut down.
The ACLU of Wyoming opposed House Bill 148. Requiring clinics that provide surgical abortions in the state to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers, requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital not more than 10 miles away, and requiring an ultrasound at least 48 hours prior to an abortion have nothing to do with patient safety or providing good care. Instead, this unnecessary bill was an attempt to use government regulation to shut down clinics and strip Wyomingites of abortion access.
The following statement can be attributed to Libby Skarin, acting executive director for the ACLU of Wyoming:
“As the future of abortion care in Wyoming remains unclear because of the state’s ongoing legal battle over abortion access, we’re thrilled that Gov. Gordon has vetoed House Bill 148 and that people will still be able to make their own health care decisions regarding abortion without government interference.
“But make no mistake – the right to an abortion is still under attack in Wyoming. Those of us who care about reproductive freedom have to get engaged. Let’s make it clear that the right to decide when, whether, and how to have a child belongs to us – not the government. Abortion is our right, and it must be available to all people in Wyoming.”
About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.
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