A Wyoming judge has temporarily blocked a new state law banning abortions after embryonic cardiac activity is detected, while a lawsuit challenging the law proceeds. This marks the first judicial action on abortion in Wyoming since the state Supreme Court struck down previous sweeping abortion bans in January, ruling they violated the state constitution’s protection of adults’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions. The new law, signed by Republican Gov. Mark Gordon, is expected to face similar constitutional challenges.

Wyoming’s only abortion clinic and other opponents welcomed the ruling, noting the recent ban had severely limited abortion access in the state. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, many states have enacted restrictive abortion laws, often triggering legal battles centered on state constitutional rights. Gov. Gordon supports the new ban but also advocates for a constitutional amendment to definitively prohibit abortion in Wyoming.