ACLU of Wyoming Opposes Abortion Bill Passed By House
The ACLU of Wyoming has spoken out against a bill that is close to passing, which would make abortion illegal in Wyoming if the Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade.
While the landmark case legalizing abortion in the U.S. before 24 weeks in 1973, there have been several attempts since then to get that ruling overturned, which has ended up preserving Roe, such as Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992 and Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt in 2016.
However, since the Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority, there has been a renewed effort to reverse Roe, and there is currently a case that the Supreme Court has heard, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which could limit abortions to 15 weeks.
The legislation, House Bill 92, would make abortion illegal in Wyoming unless it's to preserve a woman from the risk of death or substantial physical impairment but excludes psychological or emotional conditions.
It would only take effect if the decision by the Supreme Court is in line with the way that abortion is made illegal by the bill.
Libby Skarin, ACLU of Wyoming campaigns director, said:
"While residents of Wyoming will bear the brunt of this legislation, it is part of a larger effort by anti-abortion politicians to eliminate abortion access state by state, with the ultimate goal of banning abortion throughout the country," Skarin said. "We cannot allow Wyoming to be a pawn in an extremist agenda. Wyomingites deserve to have access to the health care they need. It’s time for lawmakers to stop judging and shaming Wyomingites who seek abortion care."
The bill passed the House on a 43-16 vote on March 1 and made its way out of the Senate Labor Committee on a 5-0 vote on March 7.
During the committee hearing in the Senate, there were some that spoke against the bill, saying that it "puts belief into statute," while one of the bill co-sponsors said what matters is that abortion is murder.
Janna Farley, Communications Director for the ACLU of Wyoming, said that they are also opposed to Senate File 83, which would prohibit the use of chemicals that are used for abortions.