Special Session – Mandates

Published on: by Admin Category:Covid-19, Government Overreach, Mandates

The Wyoming Legislature is headed into a Special Session to address federal and local mandates.

DAY 7 – Final Day

11/03/2021 – Special Session Final Day –
11/06/2021 -The Wyoming Legislature’s seven-day Special Session ended Wednesday evening, November 3, 2021. There were three bills against vaccine mandates introduced, which were weakened by both the House and the Senate, and two of the three were killed.  The only bill which passed, HB 1002, is a resolution essentially restating what is already allowed – the state can sue the federal government for overreach and the state may allow citizens, harmed by vaccine mandates, to be included in the lawsuit.  Many Representatives and Senators worked hard to put real protections against mandates into Wyoming law, but the majority of our legislature chose not to protect the individual liberty of Wyoming citizens.  This is a grave disappointment made even more disheartening when we see that Iowa and Tennessee passed meaningful legislation with the support of their governors.
Some legislators and lobbyists when opposing the bills, spoke of the need to protect corporate rights and find the balance between these rights and individual rights.  It is an unconstitutional view to place individual rights alongside or subservient to corporate rights.  The Wyoming Constitution, Article 10, Section 2 states “All powers and franchises of corporations are derived from the people and are granted by their agent, the government, for the public good and general welfare…”.
The three mandate bills considered were the following:
SF 1003 to protect against vaccine passports was killed by the Senate Friday, October 29, 2021. 
The portion of HB 1001 for religious and medical exemptions and against emergency use authorizations was ruined by the Senate by making it to not take effect until all vaccine mandate litigation was complete.  Senator Biteman brought amendments to protect public school students with waivers for vaccines and masks.  This portion of the bill would have taken effect as soon as the bill became law and these amendments passed. However, the Senate killed the bill by one vote. 
HB 1002 was passed and is essentially a resolution restating what is already allowed, that the State of Wyoming can sue the federal government for overreach.  The state may allow citizens to join in the lawsuits for personal injury or livelihood affected.  Click here for the bill.
UPDATE AFTER WEEK – 1
10/26/2021 – 10/29/2021 – Special Session Update after Week 1 – This week we spent 4 days debating HB1001 – “COVID vaccine employer mandates”. There were nearly 50 amendments to the bill over the course of 4 days and 3 readings of the bill. I don’t think we have ever seen a bill changed and altered as much as this bill has been. Some of these changes watered down the bill and made it less enforceable. From a positive side, as it stands right now this bill allows employers to require vaccine mandates but employers must accept exemptions including medical, religious, and natural immunity. Religious exemptions would not require certification from clergy, but only a strongly held belief. Medical exemptions would require a signature by a licensed physician. An exemption for medical contraindication (natural immunity) would require written evidence that the individual has fully recovered from COVID.
On the negative side, an amendment (HB1001H3007) was added on Friday to HB1001 that allows employers to demote and reduce wages of any employee that does not get the vaccination. We fought hard to prevent this from happening but did not have the votes to stop it in a close vote. Hopefully, our friends in the Senate will strip this amendment from the bill next week as the entire bill has now been sent to the other chamber. This bill passed the House 38-20 and was sent to the Senate.
HB1002 prevents a public entity from enforcing a federal mandate until the mandate takes legal effect (the federal government has not finalized the rules yet). The bill prevents a public entity from requiring proof of COVID vaccination for the person to receive or qualify for any public benefit. It also sets aside an additional $250,000 for legal action by the Executive Branch against the overreaching federal mandate. This bill passed the House 41-14 and was sent to the Senate.
SF1003 failed in the Senate on 3rd reading 13-15. This bill was to prevent vaccination passports and discrimination practices. No COVID-related bills were passed out of the Senate.
— Rep Scotte Heiner

DAY 6

  • DAY 6– 11/03/2021 – Today’s Senate failed HB0001 – relating to labor and employment; prohibiting employers in Wyoming from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations with emergency use authorizations or a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment except as specified; providing for exemptions; providing for reasonable alternative measures for employees unable or unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccine; with the following votes:
    • Vote recorded: 11/3/2021 1:13PM
      Ayes: BITEMAN, BOUCHARD, COOPER, DOCKSTADER, DRISKILL, FRENCH, HICKS, HUTCHINGS, JAMES, KOLB, MCKEOWN, SALAZAR, SCHULER, STEINMETZ
      Nays: ANDERSON, BALDWIN, CASE, ELLIS, FURPHY, GIERAU, KINSKEY, KOST, LANDEN, NETHERCOTT, PERKINS, ROTHFUSS, WASSERBURGER
      Excused: BONER, PAPPAS, SCOTT
      Absent:
      Conflict:
      Total: Ayes: 14 Nays: 13 Excused: 3 Absent: 0 Conflict: 0

DAY 5

11/01/2021 – Today’s Senate Action deliberation continued on HB1001 and HB1002. The House will reconvene on Wednesday…read more

DAY 4

10/29/2021 -Today’s Senate Action included failure on third reading of SF1003 and passage on third reading SF1009. The House passed third reading of HB1001 and HB1002…read more
Those in the Senate that voted against SF 1003 that would have provided protection for Wyoming Discriminatory Practices-Prohibition; see recorded votes below:
  • Ayes: Senator(s) Biteman, Bouchard, Cooper, Dockstader, Driskill, French, Hicks, Hutchings, James, Mckeown, Salazar, Schuler, Steinmetz
  • Nays: Senator(s) Anderson, Baldwin, Boner, Case, Ellis, Furphy, Gierau, Kinskey, Kolb, Landen, Nethercott, Perkins, Rothfuss, Scott, Wasserburger
  • Excused: Senator Pappas
  • Conflicts: Senator Kost
  • Ayes 13 Nays 15 Excused 1 Absent 0 Conflicts

DAY 3

10/28/2021 -The House has it whittled down to two bills now, HB1001 and HB1002 (3rd Reading tomorrow on both).  The Senate has it whittled down to 1 – 3 bills, but it depends on how you’re counting: SF1003 and SF1019 are on 3rd Reading tomorrow; SF1009 is still sitting on General File…read more

DAY 2

10/27/2021 – Friends, the Special Session of the Wyoming Legislature is about fighting to preserve the principles of freedom that have allowed America to endure for two and half centuries. We are in a battle to preserve freedom and the American way. It’s that simple.
As political division increases in our nation, it is imperative that voters spend time studying and making themselves informed about:
  • Current political matters,
  • The critical issues we are facing, and
  • The elected officials making decisions that WILL affect their lives—and the lives of their children and grandchildren.
What kind of America will we leave our descendants?
The activities, votes, and speeches of the Wyoming Legislature are public record. We’re pointing out some specifics, but you can go online yourself and learn so much more about what’s happening in Cheyenne.
Voter engagement is essential in these difficult times!
You can watch the entire proceedings of both chambers during the special session here:
…https://www.youtube.com/c/WyomingLegislature
If you want to see the juxtaposed positions being argued, we suggest you watch this video:
…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvCL-PFKlRE&list=PLOhkcX5d91NqUvEmRk_D_SOcowcg2lxvc&index=3
Representative Chip Neiman (H01) captured the passionate concerns many Wyoming citizens and business owners are struggling with as they contemplate the effects of Federal mandates. Catch his speech starting at the 11:09 mark.
One thing becomes clear upon watching and hearing the different arguments. The current political rhetoric over vaccine mandates is leading us down a slippery slope.
Wyoming, we cannot start categorizing our citizens as vaxxed or unvaxxed with associated privileges or restrictions! These our are friends and neighbors!
Here are more insights as to the first two days of work:
Bills Passed through Committee of the Whole (COW) as of 5:00 PM on October 27, 2021:
  • * HB1001 – COVID-19 Vaccine Employer Mandates
    Introduced by Representative Greear
  • * HB1002 – Federal COVID Vaccine Mandates – Prohibition and
    Remedies- 2.
    Introduced by Representative Sommers
  • * SF1003 – COVID-19 Discriminatory Practices – Prohibition.
    Introduced by Senator Steinmetz
  • * SF1019 – Wyoming Gaming Commission-Scrivener Error Correction.
    Introduced by Senator Ellis
View the bills under consideration here:
…https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021?specialSessionValue=1?
Working With You to Keep Wyoming Great!
…W. Frank Eathorne, Chairman
Wyoming Republican Party

DAY 1

QUOTE: 10/26/2021 – 

The first business was voting on the rules. Both the House and Senate failed to achieve a 2/3 vote for special rules, therefore the special session will be held under the usual rules for 66th legislature. That means the bills will not be expedited and session will take at least 7 days. I don’t know if there needs to be a crossover day added and a day for conference committee and I suspect it will take at least 8 days.
The vote for whether or not to adjourn was 6 – 23 and 1 excused, on the Senate side. It needed 2/3 no vote to stay in session and got it. I don’t know the House vote exactly, but it reached the 2/3 threshold to stay also.
House leadership chose six bills to assign to committee: HB 1001, HB 1002, HB 1005, HB 1006, HB 1009, and HB 1013. That was that with no more discussion of any others being allowed. Based on the sponsors, there is not a conservative among them and one is a Democrat.
Senate leadership chose three bills to assign to committee: SF 1003, SF 1004, and SF 1009. These sponsors are much better.
The senate allowed senators to rise and request bills on the list of 20, other than the three leadership chose, be added for consideration. This would have required 2/3 vote and no other bills were added.
https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021?specialSessionValue=1
We spoke with several who are passionate about getting this done to stop this tyranny. The question is whether they can keep the final product from being watered down.
Medicaid expansion is not moving forward on either side!
You did it!!

The Special Session of the 66th Wyoming Legislature is now underway!

Grassroots Republicans from every corner of Wyoming traveled to the Capitol and participated. (See pics below.) The galleries of both the House and Senate were full to capacity. They even had to open four more committee rooms to let the overflow crowd watch the live-stream of the proceedings. As a result, both chambers passed rules and they are in Special Session.
View the bills under consideration here:
Today was a hard-fought victory for conservative Republicans. The Democrats and a handful of liberals tried hard to adjourn without considering any legislation. The call to adjourn was made when the vote for special rules failed. A vote to adjourn would be the equivalent of consenting to the Biden mandates and leaving many Wyomingites facing job loss or jab impacts. Either way, it’s a forced decision where freedom of choice is taken away.
This Special Session is vitally important to so many Wyomingites. We are all suffering the consequences of dwindling liberties. Unfortunately, there were members from both chambers and parties who voted to adjourn. We will update you with voting tallies as they are made public.
The Wyoming GOP urges citizens to attend Senate and House proceedings again tomorrow. Your presence lets our legislators know you are concerned and want to see Wyoming stand proud and tall for LIBERTY!
We’re working together with you to Keep Wyoming Great!
…W. Frank Eathorne,
Chairman Wyoming Republican Party