A bill that would sanction businesses who require COVID-19 vaccines for employment has made it through round one in the Wyoming House of Representatives. The bill fines employers $100 a day for having a mandate and it led to a lengthy debate over the rights of small business owners and employees in the state.
Under the bill, Wyoming small business owners can request permission for a vaccine mandate if they think it's necessary, but it requires a long waiting period. Other businesses are occasionally required to follow federal and state regulations. Rock Springs Representative Chad Banks said energy companies in his area could face sanctions on all sides.
"[They are] very highly regulated industries. Those industries could be shut down in an instant due to those federal regulations. And we're just compounding those regulations with these state regulations," said Banks.
Several lawmakers noted that hospitals and nursing homes that receive Medicaid and Medicare could also lose their federal funding if they don’t mandate vaccines. The bill will be debated two more times.