Wyoming Judge Blocks Ban on Abortion Pills

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Facts

  • On Thursday, Teton County Judge Melissa Owens ruled to allow abortion pills in Wyoming to remain legal while the state ban continues to be challenged in court.1
  • Wyoming became the first state in the US to specifically ban two separate abortion pills in March this year, intending for the law to be implemented starting July 1.2
  • However, the law was challenged by several nonprofit organizations and medical providers, with Owens ruling to pause its introduction until a final ruling is made. Owens made a similar decision concerning Wyoming's total abortion ban in March.3
  • Both cases are believed to be dependent on a state constitutional amendment from 2012, passed in response to the Affordable Care Act, which states that Wyoming residents have the right to make their own healthcare decisions.4
  • While pro-life lawmakers have argued that abortion doesn't fit under the category of healthcare, Owens said the plaintiffs had "clearly shown probable success on the merits" of their legal challenge to allow the law to remain paused.5
  • Laws attempting to ban abortion have been made possible through the overturning of Roe v. Wade by SCOTUS last year, which had given women across the country the right to an abortion for nearly five decades.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2The Hill, 3Axios, 4POLITICO, 5New York Times, and 6WION.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by The Fordham Ram. Conservatives continue to spew a fraudulent narrative of morality and the sanctity of life while enforcing a dystopian nightmare against women and their bodily autonomy. Wyoming's attempts to pass strict abortion laws would set an extremely damaging precedent for healthcare across the US. Arguments against abortion pills don't hold water considering the plethora of scientific evidence supporting their safety, and any further attempts to minimize reproductive freedoms should be met with resistance rather than fear.
  • Right narrative, as provided by Daily Caller. In the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, countless lives have been saved, and America has been set on a positive course. The authority to govern abortions has rightly been given back to the states — Wyoming is acting within its rights to protect the unborn and legislate access to abortion pills. While the abortion conversation must be continued with empathy and delicacy, it is important that US states continue to stress the value of life as its primary legal concern.

Predictions