Wyoming Republican Rep. Kevin Campbell emotionally advocated for House Bill 126, which seeks to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected (around six to eight weeks gestation). Campbell shared his personal story of being born to a 14-year-old mother and adopted, urging lawmakers to recognize the humanity of the unborn. The bill passed its first reading in the Wyoming House, with Speaker Chip Neiman emphasizing the need to protect life amid the state Supreme Court’s ruling affirming abortion as a constitutional health care right.
Opponents, including Democrat Rep. Ken Chestek, criticized the bill as unlikely to withstand legal challenges and argued it neglects women’s rights and worsens Wyoming’s limited obstetric care access. Another proposed bill, HB 138, which would have allowed abortions up to viability and penalized post-viability abortions without criminalizing mothers, was not considered. Meanwhile, Governor Mark Gordon’s effort to pass a constitutional amendment granting the Legislature authority to restrict abortion recently failed in the Senate, reflecting ongoing legal and political tensions over abortion policy in Wyoming.
