Wyoming’s Declaration of Rights begins with the enduring truth stated in Article 1, Section 2:
“In their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal.”
From this truth flows the first duty of government is to safeguard the life, health, and safety of every person, especially an innocent child developing in the womb.
Today’s Wyoming Supreme Court ruling striking down the Life is a Human Right Act departs from this foundational principle.
By declaring abortion a protected form of “health care” under Article 1, Section 38(a), the Court overlooked the critical limitation in Section 38(c), which authorizes the Legislature to restrict health-care decisions when necessary to protect life, health, and safety. That provision reflects the Constitution’s expectation that the Legislature — not the judiciary — ensure protection for human life.
The Life is a Human Right Act was built on precisely that obligation, recognizing that unborn children are members of the human race and therefore entitled to equal protection under the law.
Wyoming law already recognizes unborn children as human beings. When a pregnant mother is attacked and her baby is injured or killed, prosecutors may charge the offender with a separate homicide.
Our criminal statutes acknowledge what this ruling ignores—that the unborn child is a distinct life worthy of protection.
This ruling should now serve as a call to action for the people of Wyoming and their elected representatives.
When judicial interpretation strays from constitutional intent, the citizens themselves must speak with clarity.
The Legislature has both the opportunity and the responsibility to advance a pro-life constitutional amendment for the 2026 ballot, allowing Wyoming citizens to affirm that life—born and unborn—is worthy of protection.
This moment also highlights the need for greater judicial accountability and structural reform.
Wyoming should seriously consider changes that require Senate confirmation of Supreme Court justices, allow transparent public review of judicial decisions, and prohibit governors from elevating their own administrative staff or cabinet members to the bench — an essential safeguard for maintaining true separation of powers.
An independent judiciary is vital, but independence must never come at the expense of constitutional fidelity or public trust.
Wyoming now stands at a crossroads. We can accept a definition of “health care” that denies the most vulnerable among us their right to life, or we can meet this moment with the same moral courage and clarity that shaped our State Constitution.
Life is not a political question but a moral and constitutional one — a sacred gift from God and the foundation of every other right we cherish.
Sen. Cheri Steinmetz lives in Torrington and represents Goshen, Niobrara, and Weston counties.
