January 31, 2023 |
An attempt to push back against federal mandates on vaccines and masks related to COVID-19 ended yesterday the same way it did during the special session in 2021—in failure.
Debate over House Bill 66 was passionate at times.
Representative Bill Allemand, one of the co-sponsors, was among lawmakers who argued that a price could not be put on liberty.
An amendment that would have set aside $847 million in rainy day funds on the chance the federal government withheld Medicare and other payments to health care facilities in retaliation for the bill passing served as a litmus test for the bill’s fate. Although not a poison pill amendment, the threat of losing federal dollars carried weight with most members.
Rep. Dan Zwonitzer of Cheyenne said Washington pays Wyoming hospitals $9 million a day in healthcare reimbursements. Zwonitzer said without those payments, many hospitals could not stay open for business.
The bill’s sponsors viewed the amendment as hostile to their cause. Representative John Bear of Gillette compared Wyoming’s relationship to Washington to that of a battered housewife.
The amendment passed 36 to 25. The vote on the bill itself to protect Wyoming citizens from being discriminated against over their vaccine status was much closer.
Carbon County’s two representatives split their vote with Burkart of House District 15 voting against HB 66 and Davis for it.
