Special session to address mandates slated to begin Tues.

CHEYENNE – A special session to address vaccine mandates appears to now be a reality with a three-day session set for next week.

Last Tuesday, Oct. 12, Wyoming Senate President Dan Dockstader and Speaker of the House Eric Barlow said, “Today we have fulfilled our duty under the rules of the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives by sending a poll to all legislators to determine whether the Wyoming Legislature will call itself into special session to address COVID-19 vaccine mandates. 

Members had until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14 to vote in the special session poll. 

According to the Wyoming Legislative Service Office, the session will be Tuesday, Oct. 26 through Thursday, Oct. 28.

State Rep. Mike Greear (R-Worland) said bills are already being drafted for the session in the likelihood there is enough votes. He confirmed Tuesday that there were enough votes in the House and Senate for a special session.

“We need to keep it limited to COVID-19 private employer and federal mandates,” Greear said.

He said another issue is what has been dubbed as vaccine passports where people have to show vaccination proof to purchase airline tickets, go into a restaurant, and use other services.

“Most pressing for me and Sen. [Ed] Cooper (R-Ten Sleep), that we have been working on for well over two months, is dealing with Banner Health. “Let’s not make these people quit their jobs, let’s find a reasonable accommodation for the employees.”

Cooper said, “The people at Banner Health have really brought this to a head for me. I am 100% in support of trying to get this [mandates] stopped somehow, the overreach by the federal government. Hopefully we can get it stopped in general, but what hole is it going to leave in our health care system. It’s really pretty scary when you think about it.”

He said “Banner employee Amber Tibbits helped cement my decisions, which were already made anyway. The response I’ve got from the constituents in District 20 has just been overwhelming, hundreds of them in favor of a special session to address this and maybe two or three against.

“I did vote for a special session. Mike and I have been working hard with the governor to find another solution and if we can find another solution without a special session I’m all in favor of that, thus far we haven’t,” he said.

Cooper said once a special session is called the rules need to be changed to address a single issue.

Dockstader and Barlow said in their prepared statement, “As we stated jointly with Governor Gordon on Sept. 15, we support any resolution to the issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which ultimately benefit the people of Wyoming, however those resolutions can be achieved.” 

More details on the special session are to be released by the LSO today.