Wyoming House approves first anti-mandate bill despite criticism it does little

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By Jim Angell, Cowboy State Daily

A bill that would ban some Wyoming employers from using a person’s coronavirus vaccination status as a condition of employment won final House approval on Friday despite criticism that it doesn’t look great – something to really oppose a proposed federal vaccination mandate.

The House voted 38-20 to send HB1001 to the Senate for consideration on Monday, the fifth day of the special legislative session called to chart Wyoming’s response to a vaccination mandate for healthcare workers, federal employees and workers in the companies employing more than 100 people.

The bill gained final House approval after supporters argued that it gave the state a good foundation to fight against the vaccination mandate proposed by President Joe Biden’s administration.

“This is an attempt for us to say that this is what we think needs to be done,” said representative Tim Hallinan, R-Gillette. “I would say it’s a compromise. I think this compromise is good. He puts in exceptions that are appropriate and they’ll end up going to court and I think they’ve set up a good scorer of Wyoming’s position. “

The legislature has met to determine a response to the Biden administration’s proposal, which has yet to take effect.

As originally proposed, HB1001 would have prohibited employers from using a person’s immunization status to determine whether they would keep their job, although employers could adopt their own immunization mandates if they could prove that the measure was. necessary to protect the health, safety and well-being of their workplaces.

As amended, the bill would extend the ban only to companies employing more than 100 people and those on federal contracts or working with Medicaid or Medicare, leaving other companies free to adopt their own rules regarding claims. vaccinations.

Opponents said the state essentially created a new mandate to give companies already facing the possibility of facing a federal vaccination mandate.

“I oppose this bill because I really think we have overstepped and the state will now be guilty of doing the same thing that we are angry with the federal government for going too far and sticking its nose in. somewhere it doesn’t. t belong, ”said Representative Lloyd Larsen, R-Lander.

Others argued that even though lawmakers entered the special session thinking they would offer legislation to give the state a way to fight the federal mandate, the resulting legislation will not accomplish what they hoped.

“If your only goal wasn’t to affect business and push back the federal mandate, this bill doesn’t,” said Representative Mike Yin, D-Jackson. But supporters, including Rep. Mike Greear, R-Worland, said the bill was a good starting point that could be refined as it progressed through the rest of the process.

“We have a bill that says we are going to respect people’s rights about what they are going to do with this vaccine,” he said. “Having said that in Wyoming you can get a warrant, you just have to do it the right way. “

Greear said that by setting the conditions under which companies can implement their own vaccine mandates, the state has created certainty for companies.

HB1002 also passed third reading by a 41-14 vote, a bill that would bar Wyoming officials from enforcing federal vaccination mandates and explaining the legislature’s opposition to vaccination mandates.

The bill was approved for Senate consideration next week despite criticism that it did not accomplish much.

“We’ve been here for four days at $ 25,000 a piece for two bills, the second is ‘Let’s hit my chest real hard, come home and say we’ve done something,'” Yin said. “I don’t know how this bill does anything different from what the governor is already doing.”

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