CV NEWS FEED // The Wyoming House and Senate this week overrode Gov. Mark Gordon’s veto of a bill that requires any pregnant woman seeking a chemical abortion to have an ultrasound 48 hours before undergoing the abortion, according to Cowboy State Daily.
Gordon vetoed House Bill 64 March 3, writing in a letter that he has held a pro-life stance for years but also believes exceptions should be made in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is at risk. He also emphasized that he has previously supported numerous pro-life bills, but contended that HB64 “goes too far” because it might mandate women to undergo an invasive type of ultrasound.
“If this Act were to become law, it creates the prospect of an unnecessary, intimate, and invasive procedure (transvaginal ultrasound) which subjects women to an uncomfortable and potentially traumatic experience in what may already be a very overwhelming situation,” he wrote.
He said he was concerned that the bill did not consider women who are survivors of rape, incest, or childhood sexual abuse. The ultrasound could cause more trauma, according to Gordon.
The Associated Press reports that on the day of the vote to override Gordon’s veto, Sen. Darin Smith, R-Cheyenne, commented, “[Gordon’s] very concerned about the psychological effects of this procedure, but what about the psychological effects of having an abortion, for the rest of your life?”
The state House had voted 45-16 to override the veto the day before the Senate followed suit in a 22-9 vote March 5.
In the March 5 Senate Floor Session leading up to the vote, state Sen. Gary Crum, R-Laramie, said he would vote in favor of the override, noting that life begins at conception. However he also commented that the bill “needs some work.” Crum voted in favor of overriding the veto.
Following Crum’s comments, Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, expressed opposition to overriding the veto. Case, who is seen in the video wearing an ash cross on his forehead, said the bill is “punitive” and requires “an incredibly invasive procedure” that patients are required to pay for, and said the procedure would bring further harm to victims of sexual assault. He also quoted part of Wyoming’s Constitution’s Right of Healthcare Access clause, which states that “each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own healthcare decisions.” Case voted against overriding the veto.
Gordon last week signed into law a separate pro-life state bill, House Bill 42, which requires non-hospital abortion facilities to be licensed as an ambulatory surgical center, as CatholicVote previously reported. The bill reportedly will cause Wellspring Health Access, the only facility in Wyoming that commits both surgical and chemical abortions, to shut down. On Feb. 28, Wellspring and an abortion group, Chelsea’s Fund, filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the new law from being enforced.
Wellspring Executive Director Katie Knutter said that the ultrasound-focused HB64 would effectively ban chemical abortions in the state, according to Wyoming Public Media. The news outlet reported that both surgical and chemical abortions are currently still legal in the state.
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