FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 16, 2025
CONTACT: Brad Luna, LUNA+EISENLA
brad@lunaeisenla.com | 202-812-8140 mobile
CASPER, WY— Earlier this month, Wellspring Health Access, the first clinic in Casper, Wyoming, and the only procedural and medication abortion clinic in Wyoming, filed a lawsuit against HB 164, which bans off-label use medication that includes abortion.
HB 164, which was passed by the Wyoming legislature and signed into law by the Governor in March, bans the use of medication for purposes not official through the FDA, specifically targeting abortion pills (often referred to as “off-label use” when medications are used in a way not specifically approved by the FDA but still medically accepted). It is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
Julie Burkhart, president and founder of Wellspring Health Access, offered the following statement.
“While we successfully prevailed in our lawsuit against the state of Wyoming to reopen our doors, we now await a ruling from the Wyoming Supreme Court that will determine whether the right to abortion remains protected under our state constitution. The outcome will have profound implications—not just for our clinic, but for reproductive freedom across Wyoming.
“In early June, we filed a new lawsuit challenging House Bill 164, a recently passed law that prohibits the so-called ‘off-label’ use of certain medications, including those used for medication abortion. Let’s be clear: HB 164 is a politically motivated attempt to further restrict abortion access under the guise of regulating pharmaceuticals. In reality, this law directly targets FDA-approved medications that have been safely and effectively used for decades to provide abortion care.
“Our legal challenge contends that HB 164 is not only medically unfounded—it’s likely unconstitutional. The law interferes with evidence-based medical practices and violates both state and federal protections for reproductive rights and the doctor-patient relationship. We will continue to fight these harmful, unnecessary restrictions and ensure that every person in Wyoming has access to the full range of reproductive health care.”
Wellspring Health Access successfully secured a court injunction blocking Wyoming’s so-called “TRAP” (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) law and its mandatory ultrasound requirement, paving the way for the clinic to reopen after nearly two months of being unable to provide care.
In November 2024, Wellspring Health Access prevailed in a lawsuit against the State of Wyoming after a District Court ruled to uphold the Constitutional right to an abortion. The District Court determined an abortion ban passed by the state legislature violated Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming State Constitution, granting people the right to make their own health care decisions without government interference. Despite this, Wyoming’s legislature moved forward by introducing seven bills with the “sole purpose” of putting the Wellspring clinic out of business and, in turn, enacting a statewide ban on abortion in the state.
Despite 14 out of 17 states supporting abortion rights referendums since the Dobbs decision (over 80%), President Trump and anti-abortion rights lawmakers – both nationally and in red states like Wyoming – aim to restrict further a woman’s ability to access reproductive care, including the recent action with the president’s executive order pardoning anti-abortion extremists who have been convicted of illegal activity against abortion clinics.
Burkhart was recently named to both the 2025 TIME100 and TIME100 Health lists of the most influential people. She was also profiled by the New York Times as the “only person in America to open an abortion clinic in a state that bans abortion,” and featured by US News, “The Lone Surgical Abortion Clinic in Wyoming Has a Message For America,” about her life-long work in abortion care while offering insights into the road ahead following the 2024 presidential election.
She has a long history in reproductive health care leadership, serving previously as senior advisor to the late Dr. George Tiller, a prominent Wichita, KS abortion provider who was tragically assassinated for continuing to perform abortions. Following his death, Burkhart founded Trust Women to continue his legacy.
Burkhart serves as president of Wellspring Health Access, which operates its first reproductive health clinic in Casper, Wyoming. She is also the co-owner of Hope Clinics, which are based in Granite City and Chicago, Illinois, and has previously operated clinics in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Washington state.
Please contact Brad Luna at brad@lunaeisenla.com to speak with Julie Burkhart
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Wellspring Health Access
Wellspring Health Access is located in Casper, WY, and received national prominence after opening in 2023 by founder Julie Burkhart, even after the legislature passed a bill attempting to ban the procedure. Wellspring Health Access is the only remaining abortion clinic left in the state and the only procedural and medication abortion facility in Wyoming. Led by a team of dedicated reproductive health care experts, Wellspring Health Access proudly stands as a clinic bringing abortion care to underserved areas. More information at wellspringaccess.org
About Julie Burkhart
Julie Burkhart is a longtime national abortion rights leader and the only person in America to have opened an abortion clinic in a state that has banned abortion. She is the former advisor to legendary abortion doctor, Dr. George Tiller, and founded Trust Women, an abortion access organization, in 2009 in the wake of his assassination. Ms. Burkhart is also the founder and president of Wellspring Health Access clinic in Wyoming and co-owner of Hope Clinics in Illinois, which offers critical health care and abortion services. She was also named to the TIME100 and TIME100 Health most influential people lists in 2025.
