Idaho, Wyoming to join lawsuit against US mandate for vaccines, tests
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho and Wyoming will join a multistate lawsuit against the Biden administration over an emergency rule mandating that employers with more than 100 workers require COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing by Jan. 4.
Republican Gov. Brad Little said Thursday he's working with Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and will join the expected lawsuit Friday.
“I joined Idaho leaders in communicating to President Joe Biden in September our concerns with his federal vaccine mandate on private business, and we threatened legal action if he did not rescind the directive. Not surprisingly, President Biden is plowing forward with his OSHA rule to punish America’s businesses – yet another unprecedented federal overreach into the private sector. I have been actively working with Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and my legal team, and we will join a multistate lawsuit Friday to stop this latest attempt to force the private sector to police President Biden’s vaccine mandates.”
This federal standard would impact numerous Wyoming businesses.
“We have prepared for this moment and the Attorney General has a strong legal strategy she developed with a coalition of other Attorneys General,” Governor Gordon said. “We cannot allow the rights of Wyoming citizens and her industries to be trampled on by federal overreach.”
The Biden administration on Thursday issued the rule that applies to about 84 million workers.
Idaho is already part of a different multistate lawsuit against Biden’s requirement that all employees of federal contractors be vaccinated against the coronavirus by Dec. 8.
Wyoming has already challenged President Biden’s executive order, which put a vaccine mandate in place for federal contractors and the Attorney General is actively reviewing and considering a legal strategy related to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid interim rule.
