Wyoming's first-in-the-nation abortion pill ban blocked before it was set to take effect

\A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A judge has blocked Wyoming's first-in-the-nation ban on abortion pills days before it was set to be implemented in July.

While several states have banned abortion outright or restricted access to abortion pills, Wyoming in March became first state with an explicit ban on abortion pills.

Teton County Judge Melissa Owens issued the ruling after hearing arguments Thursday for and against allowing the ban to take effect pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the new law.

The ban had been set to take effect July 1.

The ban would limit services at two Wyoming clinics including one that opened in Casper in April.