Women trying to get the abortion pill in Wyoming now need to undergo an ultrasound after state lawmakers overrode the governor’s earlier veto of a bill requiring the procedure.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) vetoed the “Chemical abortions-ultrasound requirement” bill earlier this week citing concerns over its invasive nature and the bill’s lack of exceptions for victims of rape or incest.
“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,” Gordon wrote in a letter to Wyoming House Speaker Chip Neiman, the bill’s main sponsor.
Under the bill, women seeking to end a pregnancy using abortion medication need to receive a transvaginal ultrasound at least 48 hours before receiving the necessary pills.
During the procedure, a healthcare provider inserts a device called a transducer into the vagina to record images of the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
State senators voted to override Gordon’s veto of the bill in a 22-9 vote on Wednesday following a House vote where members voted 45-16 to do the same.