January 18, 2024 |
Photo – Wyoming’s House Chamber – Bigfoot99 file photo
In the legislature next month, a bill that would prohibit discrimination against people based on their COVID-19 vaccination status, face masking, or medical testing status has been filed.
The bill, as filed, specifies that no one can “refuse, withhold from or deny a person any services, goods, facilities, advantages or privileges that are public in nature or that invite the patronage of the public based on a person’s COVID‑19 vaccination or booster status, whether a person is not wearing a face covering or whether a person refuses to submit to COVID‑19 medical testing”
House Bill 59 is sponsored by Republican Jeanette Ward of Natrona County. Co-sponsors include Reps. Allemand, Angelos, Bear, Haroldson, Heiner, Hornok, Jennings, Locke, Neiman, Penn, Slagle, Smith, Strock, and Trujillo
Ward sponsored a similar bill in 2023. It died on 32-29 vote. One change in House Bill 59 is that it doesn’t include a possible penalty of up to a year in jail that was part of the 2023 bill.
Since the legislature is meeting in a budget session in 2024, non-budget items such as House Bill 59 will require a 2/3 majority vote for introduction.
The 20-day budget session convenes on February 12.
