News – Sheridan Media
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Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has signed a number of bills into law and let a few go into law without his signature, but now he has issued his first four vetoes of this year’s Legislative session.
The Governor exercised his veto authority on a bill that would potentially require women to undergo an invasive procedure prior to receiving an abortion, without exceptions for rape or incest.
“My pro-life stance is well supported over the years,” the Governor wrote in his letter vetoing House Bill 64 – Chemical Abortions- Ultrasound Requirement (Click Here), noting he’s signed multiple pieces of legislation protecting the lives of the unborn.
“I have consistently maintained my strong position and record of protecting the wellbeing of women and newborns. If this Act were to become law, it 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 Governor pointed out that HB64 does not provide an exception for pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest.
“Intimate obstetric and gynecological examinations can be highly problematic for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, or victims whose pregnancy is caused by rape or incest, or a woman and her family who is forced to choose her health over that of the unborn. This Act requires that these populations of women who may be more likely to feel disempowered or feel guilt‐induced duress to undergo a potentially retraumatizing experience. Forcing victims of rape to endure such an invasion a second time seems cruel,” the Governor wrote.
The Governor also vetoed House Bill 94 (Click Here) which was a bill that would remove the cap on the number of charter schools that the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board may authorize.
In his veto letter, Governor Gordon wrote that the Legislature still has yet to engage in a comprehensive review of charter school legislation that he has been requesting since 2021.
“While I continue to enthusiastically support school choice in Wyoming and the role that high-quality charter schools can play in our education system, I cannot, in good conscience, approve an expansion of charter schools at a time when our public education system faces significant financial uncertainty and without comprehensive changes to the law risk replicating the struggles that currently exist.,” the Governor wrote.
In his letter, the Governor also pointed to the recent District Court ruling that the Wyoming Legislature has unconstitutionally underfunded the state’s public schools.
He wrote that because the state currently lacks “a sustainable, transparent plan to ensure adequate funding for public schools and education savings accounts, lifting the cap on charter school authorizations without a clear picture of the cumulative fiscal impact of educational innovation in Wyoming is both premature and irresponsible.”
The Governor also vetoed two additional bills.
HB0036 – Hathaway scholarship-amendments (Click here) would weaken the Hathaway Scholarship by expanding the scholarship without adding an additional appropriation, despite existing workforce programs already in place.
SF0132 – Protecting critical infrastructure and systems from drones (Click here) was vetoed, due to conflict with Federal Aviation Administration law and regulations, as well as the risk of federal penalties for Wyoming law enforcement attempting to comply with provisions of the bill.
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Last modified: March 4, 2025