Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Wednesday, January 7th. I'm Mac Watson.

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On Tuesday, the Wyoming Supreme Court announced their much-anticipated decision on abortion rights for the state. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland walks through the controversial court ruling.

"Tuesday about 9am the Wyoming Supreme Court issued its long-awaited ruling in the three-and-a-half year legal battle of abortion in Wyoming. What the High Court decided is abortion is health care. It is a fundamental right. It falls under a rigorous standard of court review that's difficult for the state to defend, and the state did, in fact, fail to defend it…the newest justice, Bridget Hill was the attorney general when this case was originally waged, and so, she could not serve in the final decisions due to that conflict, because this is an attorney general case. And so the former Chief Justice Kate Fox was recalled out of her mandatory retirement to help finish the case."

The ruling concludes four years of legal challenges that have fraught Wyoming since its 2022 abortion ban "triggered" into place with the overturn of the federal abortion right under Roe vs. Wade.

Read the full story HERE.

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Our coverage of Tuesday's Wyoming Supreme Court ruling continues…After the controversial abortion ruling was announced on Tuesday, Wyoming leaders vowed to work to advance a pro-life constitutional amendment in the upcoming legislative session. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that ultimately, the voters may decide.

"The Wyoming Legislature plans to try to get that measure through the legislature, if it's well written enough, we could expect Governor Gordon to sign it. If it's not well written or violates the principle he holds. We may not but he is pro life, he says, and he does want to see this issue go before the people, and then if it survives those steps, a two thirds majority in each chamber, the governor's desk, then it would go before the Wyoming voters at the ballot in November of this year."

During the interview, Clair McFarland reports that Chip Nieman became emotional and told Cowboy State Daily that he and other lawmakers are galvanized on this issue to find options to change the Constitution, or ask the people to do so.

Read the full story HERE.

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Cowboy State Daily's coverage of Tuesday's announcement of the Wyoming Supreme Court declaring the abortion ban as unconstitutional continues with The Wyoming AG is filing a petition for a Supreme Court rehearing on Tuesday's abortion ruling upholding it as fundamental right. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Governor Gordon requested the filing.

"Later in the afternoon, Governor Gordon announced that he had asked his Attorney General, Keith Kautz, to file a petition for a rehearing. Now this is a measure that Wyoming appeals processes allow, where, if one of the parties in the appeal says, 'Whoa, you missed these sources and these arguments and all of this stuff that goes completely against your ruling, I want you to reconsider.' Then he has to file that petition within 15 days of the ruling that he disputes, and then it's up to the High Court whether to hear that petition, and then they would give the other party a chance to respond as well."

A statement from the office said the petition will be filed within the 15-day deadline.

Read the full story

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