Gordon uses first vetoes on ultrasound requirement and unlimited charter schools

Gov. Mark Gordon nixed four bills, including requiring a transvaginal ultrasound before prescribing abortion pills, and a bill prohibiting drones flying over critical infrastructure. He also signed 16 bills into law.

Gov. Mark Gordon gives his inaugural speech after being sworn in for his second term. Jan. 2, 2023. (Governor Mark Gordon)

by Kamila Kudelska | Mar 4, 2025 | Politics & Policy

Gov. Mark Gordon signed 16 bills into law on March 3 and also used his veto power for the first time in the 2025 legislative session.

He vetoed four bills. The governor also let one bill become law without his signature.

Gordon’s first vetoes drew swift condemnation from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which called them “conservative priorities.”

Veto: Transvaginal ultrasound requirement

HB 64 would’ve required pregnant Wyomingites to get a transvaginal ultrasound at least 48 hours before being prescribed abortion pills.

Transvaginal ultrasounds require a wand-like device to be inserted in a woman’s vagina.

The bill included a requirement for the physician to tell women details about the embryo or fetus and ensure that they view its heartbeat.

Those who supported the bill said it was about keeping women safe while abortion remains legal in Wyoming. The bill sponsor, House Speaker Chip Neiman (R-Hulett), said his goal was to add a step for the mother to have more “time to think about this.”

Its opponents said the legislation was medically unnecessary and cruel.

In his veto explanation, Gordon emphasized that he has a pro-life record but wrote, “If this Act were to become law, it creates the prospect of an unnecessary, intimate and invasive procedure which subjects women to an uncomfortable, and potentially traumatic experience.”

He emphasized that there was not an exception for pregnancies as a result of rape or incest.

“Intimate obstetric and gynecological examinations can be highly problematic for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, or victims whose pregnancy is caused by rape or incest, or a woman and her family who is forced to choose her health over that of the unborn … Forcing victims of rape to endure such an invasion a second time seems cruel,” he wrote.

Veto: Remove cap on charter schools

The Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board was created in 2023. It was allowed to authorize three schools by July 2026. It has already authorized three schools.

HB 94 would’ve gotten rid of that cap and would’ve allowed the board to authorize an unlimited amount of charter schools.

In his explanation letter, Gordon said he supports school choice but not if the public education system in the Cowboy State faces financial uncertainty. He referred to a ruling by a Laramie County judge just last week that ordered the state to put more money into its education system and update its funding model.

“The Legislature’s failure to fully fund the External Cost Adjustment and other inflationary factors, its approval of universal education savings accounts, ongoing tax reductions that primarily impact education funding, and the unchecked expansion of charter schools send conflicting messages about its commitment to adequately fund public education,” wrote Gordon. “The financial strain on our system, combined with the litigation, raises concerns about whether Wyoming is fulfilling its constitutional duty to support public schools.”

Veto: Expanding the Hathaway Scholarship

The Hathaway Scholarship was created in 2005. It funds scholarships for Wyoming high school graduates with a 2.25 GPA to attend the University of Wyoming or any of the state’s seven community colleges.

HB 36 would have expanded the definition of “certificate” within the Hathaway Scholarship Program to include a broader range of trade certificate programs.

Gordon said he has long supported an expansion of Career and Technical Education but it should be a separate scholarship, since the Hathaway Scholarship funds are unable to withstand current demand.

“This legislation does not include any means to increase earnings from the Hathaway endowment fund necessary to support the expanded eligibility raising concerns about the sustainability of the program overall or its value to any student,” Gordon wrote. “Without an increase in available funding, this expansion could place additional financial strain on the Hathaway Scholarship, potentially reducing the level of support available to students.”

Veto: Protecting critical infrastructure and systems from drones

SF 132 would have prohibited drones flying over critical infrastructure and systems.

Gordon agreed this is an issue but wrote in his veto explanation that the way the bill was written would go against federal aviation law. He said this should be addressed at the federal level but would be a worthy issue to study during the interim before the state’s next legislative session.

“Having a better understanding and the fullness of time to see how the Trump Administration plans to address this issue can only prove beneficial to the State’s efforts in this area. Rest assured that Wyoming will continue to aggressively pursue every option to provide local authorities with the proper tools to control unmanned aerial vehicles.”

No signature but still law: Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program

SF 195 attempts to address the governor’s request for wildfire recovery and aid in the supplemental budget. In his budget proposal, Gordon asked for $130 million for a grant program for fire restoration and recovery.

Instead, this bill provides a loan program. It offers up to $750,000 per business with a 2% origination fee, to be repaid in three years. The bill appropriates $25 million for the program.

Gordon wrote in his explanation letter that a loan program is not the most effective option to address the landscape-level scale of damage from this past summer’s fires, but it’s an option.

He pointed out the state estimates some 850,000 acres burned in 2024, with about 70% on private land.

“Some landowners might make use of a generous loan program such as the one envisioned in this legislation; but others may not or could not,” Gordon wrote. “Whatever program, private landowners should make maximum use of all available insurance proceeds and appropriate federal programs, but gaps will remain that could compromise the value of the overall effort.”

The governor signed the following bills on March 3. Click this link and search by bill number or title to see drafts of the bill. A regularly updated list of bills Gordon has signed is here.

Enrolled Act, Bill #, Bill Title

HEA0036 HB0211 Hunting wildlife from vehicles.

HEA0037 HB0188 Two families-one nanny.

HEA0038 HB0129 School finance-dates for fund transfers.

HEA0039 HB0125 Repeal unauthorized use of vehicle crime.

HEA0040 HB0103 Columbarium regulation.

HEA0041 HB0020 K-12 school facility leasing.

HEA0042 HB0028 Commercial driver’s licenses-revisions.

HEA0043 HB0011 Manufacturing sales and use tax exemption-amendments.

HEA0044 HB0033 Vehicle sales and use tax distribution-highway fund.

HEA0046 HB0275 Treatment of animals.

HEA0048 HB0072 Protecting privacy in public spaces act.