Letter to the Editor: See the pattern yet? Cuts are hurting needy families, seniors

Dear editor:

I would like to expand on Cheryl Hunt’s letter that appeared in last week’s issue.

Right now, my friends in the Republican party have taken a case to our Wyoming Supreme Court, stating that abortions are not health care.  Here is the insidious part of it: Judge Owens ruled that women are competent and, as such, our Wyoming constitution protects our rights to make health care decisions without the government intruding on very personal decisions. 

If they can get our Supreme Court to agree and rule in their favor, women will have lost the right to decide what healthcare is appropriate for them.  Since they lost the case of circumventing our constitution, you know that pesky little thing of competency, they decided to circumvent the will of the people.  

Just think. Men will have total body autonomy, but not women. They will have taken away our Wyoming constitutional right for body autonomy.  Pretty insidious and sneaky.  

Then I have wondered, if abortion is not healthcare, will it be covered under insurance?  Will they cover the D&C after a miscarriage? If you have endometriosis and need a D&C, if your life is in danger or your pregnancy is not compatible with life, will those be covered? If you have cancer, will they be covered?  I don’t understand. If 83% of Wyomingites are in favor of abortions and recognize it as health care, are they listening to us? 

Also, with the requirement of it being required to be a surgical clinic with all the rules was found in 2016 whole women Health v Texas and again 2020 Louisiana. The Supreme Court ruled, did not ensure better patient outcomes and were in fact cumbersome to the patients and clinics.  I wonder if any representative has even visited the clinic.  

Then there is their pledge to want to DOGE Wyoming.  What else are they going to cut, education well, have tried many times not to appropriate funds and have been sued by the WBE and in fact recently lost. 

Maybe they will cut our road maintenance, public health services.  LIEAP, maybe they will cut that so our seniors and needy families suffer.  We have already lost over $500,000 in food programs for the elderly and needy families.  See a pattern here? Cut the programs that needy families and seniors need. So, keep a watchful eye out on the next session for the cuts. 

Respectfully, 

Lynn Meier 

Basin