Wyoming court blocks fetal heartbeat abortion law
A Wyoming judge temporarily blocked the state’s newest abortion limit, halting enforcement of a law that prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally around six weeks...
By Fox News · Fox News
A Wyoming judge temporarily blocked the state’s newest abortion limit, halting enforcement of a law that prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally around six weeks of pregnancy. Natrona County District Judge Dan Forgey on Friday granted temporary injunctive relief against the Human Heartbeat Act while the case plays out in court. The plaintiffs "made a sufficient showing of irreparable injury," Forgey wrote, adding that "the state defendants did not persuasively argue otherwise." He also said the plaintiffs had made "a sufficient showing of probable success" under Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution, which protects individuals’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions. VERMONT ACCUSED IN LAWSUIT OF TRACKING PREGNANT WOMEN CONSIDERED UNSUITABLE TO BE MOTHERS The ruling is the latest turn in Wyoming’s long-running abortion fight and comes just months after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down two earlier abortion restrictions, finding they violated the state constitution’s healthcare autonomy protections. That January decision reshaped the legal landscape in Wyoming and prompted lawmakers to try again with a narrower ban tied to the detection of fetal cardiac activity. The law, passed during the Legislature’s 2026 session and signed by Republican Gov. Mark Gordon on March 9, took effect in March. It bars abortion beyond roughly the sixth week of pregnancy, once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies that threaten a woman’s life or health, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. "Where the act does not align to my pro-life stance is in the concern for specific vulnerable populations," Gordon wrote in a letter to lawmakers Monday. HOUSTON-AREA MIDWIFE ARRESTED FOR PROVIDING ILLEGAL ABORTIONS IN FIRST CRIMINAL CASE UNDER STATE BAN: TEXAS AG It echoes his reservations and expected legal fight when signing the law in March. "I resoundingly share the determination…