Wyoming
Will a new Wyoming law protect providers or limit abortions? It depends on which lawyer you ask. – WyoFile
The same group of abortion rights advocates whose legal challenges have stymied past attempts to stop or limit abortion in Wyoming is seeking to block part of another new law.
That statute, which goes into effect July 1, codifies what is already a long-standing medical practice: that providers can legally prescribe U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for unapproved or off-label uses without fear of punishment from Wyoming licensing boards. But the new law exempts drugs intended to induce an abortion from those protections.
Abortion rights advocates worry the law “indirectly bans abortion medication by threatening physicians and pharmacists with disciplinary action for prescribing off-label use” of certain drugs that are commonly used for medication abortions. On Monday, they asked a judge to block enforcement of the part of the statute that pertains to abortion while their broader lawsuit against it and two other new abortion laws proceed through the courts.
State attorneys, who are defending all three of the laws, asked Judge Thomas T.C. Campbell to allow the off-label law to go into effect as written. They dispute that the law is another attempt to limit access to abortion medications in Wyoming. Instead, they contend it merely clarifies that the law would not supersede the Wyoming Legislature’s 2023 ban on abortion medications, which is on hold pending a Wyoming Supreme Court ruling expected later this year.
In the meantime, abortion remains legal in Wyoming.
Off-label prescriptions
Prescribing medications for off-label purposes — in other words, uses not approved by the FDA — is common practice and can be a valuable tool for health care providers. Drugs approved to treat one type of cancer might be prescribed off-label for another type of cancer. Or a doctor might, for example, prescribe propranolol, which is approved for treatment of high blood pressure, for some types of anxiety. A medication in a different dose than what is FDA-approved would also qualify as off-label use.
In 2023, the Wyoming Legislature considered a bill intended to offer protections for providers who prescribe off-label drugs. Then Rep. Sarah Penn, R-Lander, sponsored the bill in the wake of a COVID-era controversy over hydroxychloroquine, an FDA-approved malaria drug that some providers prescribed to treat the virus. Some of those doctors faced the prospect of disciplinary actions in other states for providing what critics said was misinformation about the drug.
Penn’s bill failed, but Rep. Gary Brown, R-Cheyenne, successfully brought back a similar measure this year. House Bill 164, “Medical prescriptions-off-label purposes,” codified the practice of prescribing off-label medications. But it specified those protections did not apply to schedule I or II controlled substances (such as heroin or fentanyl), gender care for children and medications intended to induce an abortion.
The most common regimen of those abortion medications includes the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol. Typically, a patient takes mifepristone first, then misoprostol one or two days later, according to medical providers cited in the plaintiff’s court documents. Both drugs are used off-label for abortion care in some circumstances.
Old case, new challenge
Wyoming’s lone abortion clinic — Casper’s Wellspring Health Access — and a group of abortion rights advocates are already suing to challenge two other laws from the 2025 legislative session. One added more stringent restrictions on abortion clinics, while a second required ultrasounds and a 48-hour waiting period.
In April, Judge Campbell blocked enforcement of those laws while the legal challenge proceeds. On Monday, both sides appeared virtually in Natrona County District Court to debate whether HB 164 should also be halted while the broader case plays out.
Like past court hearings, abortion rights advocates used a 2012 amendment to the Wyoming Constitution, which protects people’s rights to make their own health care decisions, to help make their case. That amendment allows the Legislature to determine “reasonable and necessary restrictions” when they protect general health and welfare, and was cited by Teton County District Judge Melissa Owens when she struck down a pair of 2023 abortion bans in November.
Exempting abortion medications from off-label protections is not reasonable or necessary for public health, and is therefore unconstitutional, plaintiff’s attorney Bethany Saul argued. Most abortions are performed with medications, and the evidence shows those drugs are safe and rarely produce serious complications.
And yet, health care providers who prescribe abortion drugs would be singled out by HB 164 and exempted from its protections without good reason, Saul told the court. If the law goes into effect as it’s now written, she added, providers may not prescribe the proper medications for their patients due to fears they might face future disciplinary actions from state licensing boards.
“This is not just a perceived risk,” she said. “We are facing a real risk.”
Senior Attorney General John Woykovsky defended the law, arguing the plaintiffs were misinterpreting HB 164. Brown, the bill’s chief sponsor, included the abortion medication exemption not as a backdoor attempt at banning the practice, but rather to align his legislation with the medication abortion ban passed by lawmakers in 2023.
That ban, while on hold, could go into effect if the Wyoming Supreme Court rules it constitutional. The state’s highest court heard arguments on that case in April and is expected to rule later this year. If the justices affirm a lower-court decision that the ban is unconstitutional, then the abortion medication exemption in HB 164 has no effect, Woykovsky argued. He disputed the idea that the new law would discourage providers from prescribing off-label use of the medications.
“As it stands now, there are no laws in place to prohibit the use of off-label drugs for abortions,” he said. “And there should be no chilling effect.”
Judge Campbell listened to about an hour of arguments from both sides. He did not rule at the hearing, but said he would issue a decision as soon as possible given the law will go into effect in just over a week.
A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.
One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.
Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.
“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”
The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”
The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.
It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.
The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.
Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”
Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”
The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.
SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.
Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”
Both bills go into effect July 1.
LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.
Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.
The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.
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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.
The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.
Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.
With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.
The 2026 Wyoming prep girls’ basketball season is nearly done. Two state champions were crowned in Classes 1A and 2A last Saturday. Southeast won the 1A title for the third consecutive season, and Sundance won the 2A title for the first time in eight years. Class 3A and 4A held their regional tournaments, which qualified teams for the state tournament later this week in Casper.
WYOPREPS WEEK 12 GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS 2026
These are the girls’ basketball team records for all games played through March 7, 2026. For all but 16 teams, this is the final record of the season. Those squads will play in the 3A-4A state tournament starting on Thursday in Casper.
1A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Burlington 24-5, 8-0
Riverside 14-10, 6-2
Dubois 11-10, 4-4
St. Stephens 3-16, 1-7
Meeteetse 1-20, 1-7
1A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cokeville 23-4, 10-0
Little Snake River 23-4, 8-2
Farson-Eden 16-12, 5-5
Saratoga 13-11, 5-5
Ft. Washakie 8-13, 2-8
Encampment 3-19, 0-10
1A Northeast: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Upton 16-7, 10-0
Kaycee 13-12, 7-3
Hulett 12-13, 7-3
Arvada-Clearmont 9-12, 4-6
Casper Christian 4-13, 2-8
Midwest 1-16, 0-10
1A Southeast: (Overall Record, followed by Reg. Season Points)
Southeast 24-5, 40 points
Lingle-Ft. Laramie 17-11, 31 points
Lusk 15-13, 26 points
H.E.M. 13-11, 24 points
Rock River 6-14, 12 points
Guernsey-Sunrise 2-18, 4 points
2A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Thermopolis 16-13, 5-1
Greybull 16-15, 4-2
Rocky Mountain 9-17, 2-4
Shoshoni 11-18, 1-5
2A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Wyoming Indian 23-7, 6-0
Big Piney 8-16, 4-2
Kemmerer 2-21, 1-5
Wind River 2-23, 1-5
2A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Sundance 23-4, 5-0
Big Horn 21-6, 4-1
Tongue River 18-11, 3-2
Pine Bluffs 17-12, 2-3
Moorcroft 7-18, 1-4
Wright 3-23, 0-5
Read More Girls Basketball News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps 1A-2A Girls State Basketball Scoreboard 2026
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3A West: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cody 24-0, 10-0
Lander 21-4, 9-1
Pinedale 20-5, 7-3
Powell 16-9, 6-4
Lovell 16-10, 4-6
Worland 9-16, 2-8
Lyman 10-11, 2-8
Mountain View 4-19, 0-10
3A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Wheatland 22-4, 10-0
Buffalo 13-11, 8-2
Douglas 14-11, 6-4
Burns 16-13, 5-5
Torrington 10-11, 5-5
Glenrock 12-13, 3-7
Newcastle 1-22, 1-9
Rawlins 2-21, 0-10
4A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Green River 23-2, 6-0
Natrona County 9-16, 4-2
Kelly Walsh 8-15, 2-4
Rock Springs 5-20, 0-6
4A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Star Valley 16-7, 5-1
Evanston 16-10, 5-1
Riverton 7-19, 1-5
Jackson 3-19, 1-5
4A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cheyenne East 21-3, 11-1
Cheyenne Central 16-9, 10-2
Sheridan 14-10, 7-5
Thunder Basin 14-10, 6-6
Laramie 12-11, 6-6
Campbell County 1-19, 1-10
Cheyenne South 1-21, 0-11
*The second Campbell County-Cheyenne South girls’ game was canceled.
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Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Marcello Monterastelli Photography & Jared Newland, WHSAA
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