Wyoming legislators voted to ensure women see an ultrasound of their baby before taking chemical abortion drugs. The state's socially liberal governor vetoed it, but legislators overrode his veto.
CHEYENNE, Wyoming (LifeSiteNews) -- Wyoming legislators overrode the veto of the state's socially liberal governor to pass a law requiring women to have an ultrasound before obtaining chemical abortion drugs.
While abortion drugs can never truly be safe, since they intend to kill a preborn baby, an ultrasound can detect an ectopic pregnancy. Abortion drugs cannot be used when a woman has an ectopic pregnancy.
The bill also requires the abortionist to give women information about their unborn baby and to show them the baby's heartbeat.
Governor Mark Gordon vetoed the legislation earlier this week, saying that he has a "pro-life stance" before pivoting to pro-abortion talking points.
The law "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," the Republican governor claimed, neglecting the grave harm that abortion poses to unborn babies.
"I question whether this invasive ultrasound is absolutely necessary, fully informative, or can even be considered a reasonable requirement for this procedure regardless of the circumstances resulting in the pregnancy," he said.
He suggested the state should wait to pass new abortion laws. The legality of the state's near-total ban on abortion is pending with the state supreme court.
Gordon ended by arguing that the state should help the women who have babies instead of adding new protections for innocent human life. This, however, ignores the babies who are killed through abortion and never have a chance to live.
Gordon did, however, sign legislation on February 27 that requires abortion facilities to "acquire [an] ambulatory surgical center licensure," according to Wyoming Public Media.
Gordon's veto of the legislation put him on the side of Wellspring, the only abortion facility in the state that both commits "surgical" abortions and hands out chemical abortion drugs. The center's director said abortion drugs are becoming more common in the state.
While opponents of ultrasounds for abortions will now claim they are akin to sexual assault, Planned Parenthood used to recommend women obtain one before an abortion, as noted by the Charlotte Lozier Institute.
Governor Gordon has a history of siding with social liberals on key cultural issues.
“Gordon removed a radiologist from the state board of medicine for opposing child gender mutilation, and he refused to sign a 2023 bill to prevent men who think they are women from competing in women’s sports, calling the measure ‘draconian,'” as reported by The Federalist. He signed legislation prohibiting transgender drugs and surgeries for minors but said he had reservations about how it might affect “parental rights,” i.e., parents’ ability to subject their children to mutilating procedures.
He also recently vetoed legislation that would protect public school employees, like teachers, from being forced to use someone's made-up transgender "preferred pronouns."
As with the veto of the ultrasound requirement, Gordon tried to play both sides of the issue, expressing his general support for the idea while finding a reason to veto it.
“Fortunately, to the best of my knowledge, Wyoming political subdivisions are not engaging in such practices, and any attempt to do so would likely face legal challenges,” Gordon wrote in a letter shared with The Federalist. “I must conclude that this bill, rather than addressing an urgent policy concern, is instead meant to convey a public perspective on gender and the use of preferred pronouns.” He said he supports the “intent” of the bill but worried about “excessive regulation.”
