On Nov. 12, Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill that aims to support Wyoming’s fight against federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
“This bill confirms the Legislature’s support for the Executive branch’s previously-expressed determination to fight federal overreach in the courts,” Gordon said in a statement to the press.
The legislation in question, officially known as House Bill 1002, provides $4 million in funding for legal challenges to any COVID-19 vaccination mandates posed by the federal government.
The bill roots its argument in segments of the Wyoming Constitution, namely the provision that “…each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions.”
The law also officially defines the terms related to this debate and prohibits public establishments from enforcing federal COVID-19 mandates.
According to Section 2 of House Bill 1002, “No public entity shall enforce any mandate or standard of the federal government, whether emergency, temporary or permanent, that requires an employer to ensure or mandate that an employee shall receive a COVID‑19 vaccination.”
Regardless of where officials stood on the matter, the majority of lawmakers involved seemed discontented with the product’s possible ramifications for private businesses.
“I don’t see us pushing against the feds, I just see us pushing down on Wyoming businesses,” Senator Chris Rothfuss, Wyoming Senate Minority Leader, said.
The reactions of UW students are generally mixed.
Molly Peper, a junior majoring in Psychology, agrees with the sentiment behind HB1002. When taking special medical cases into account, Peper acknowledges the downsides that could accompany the introduction of any sort of federal vaccine mandate.
“Honestly, no, the government shouldn’t mandate the vaccine. There’s people who can’t access it or have a health problem that interferes with it,” Peper said “It isn’t fair to them if they can’t get it. Other countries have the same problem.”
On the other hand, Jaime Gagnon, a freshman in exploratory studies, is frustrated by Governor Mark Gordon’s decision.
“While I understand the concern, our hospitals are still overrun and it’s nearly two years into this pandemic. Other countries had it locked down by last year,” Eggnog said. “Our country has fantastic economic and scientific resources, we should have been clear then too. The faster we get vaccinated, the sooner life gets back to normal.”
Jennifer DeBerard, a non-traditional student studying social work, holds a similar opinion.
“I very much disagree with Gordon. I think he went with the whole ‘feds can’t tell states what to do’ angle to keep his base happy while avoiding the entire public health issue,” DeBerard said.
Most students are upset that vaccines became such a politically-charged topic.
“In all honesty, with everything happening, it’s sad to see not only Wyoming but the rest of the U.S. be split in half over vaccine mandates and whether or not we should be vaccinated,” Peper said.
Regardless of variances in public opinion, Governor Mark Gordon’s signing has proved his commitment to challenging federal vaccination mandates.
“The people of Wyoming can rest assured that this governor will always be committed to protecting the constitutionally enumerated rights of Wyoming citizens,” Gordon said in a press release published Nov. 12
