Wyoming’s only abortion clinic will reopen and begin providing care after a judge on Monday suspended two laws restricting abortion in the state.
Wellspring Health Access said it will resume abortions on Thursday, following a temporary injunction granted by a district court judge, which halted the laws from taking effect as the case progresses.
One law would require clinics providing surgical abortions to be licensed as outpatient surgical centers. The other would require women to get an ultrasound before a medication abortion. The ultrasound legislation passed despite a veto from Gov. Mark Gordon (R).
The clinic has been unable to see patients since the evening of February 27th when Gordon signed the licensing requirement bill into law. The legislation required abortion clinics to be regulated as “ambulatory surgical centers” and for physicians to have specific admitting privileges, licensing and data reporting requirements.
Opponents say the licensing legislation is a type of TRAP law (Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers), which singles out the medical practices of doctors who provide abortions and imposes requirements that are more costly and burdensome than those imposed on other medical practices. They are designed to regulate clinics and abortion access out of existence even if abortion remains legal.
Julie Burkhart, Wellspring’s president and founder, said the clinic will reopen on Thursday.
“We are delighted and relieved that we can once again see patients at our clinic in Casper. Individuals from every corner of Wyoming rely on us for quality, reliable reproductive health care,” Burkhart said in a statement. “We look forward to reopening our doors – starting Thursday – and welcoming patients from across the Mountain region and beyond.”
Wyoming has sought to enact two abortion bans since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022: one banning abortion broadly, and another banning abortion medication specifically. Both were declared unconstitutional by a state judge in November.
The Wyoming Supreme Court heard arguments in that case last week but is unlikely to rule for several months.
