Wyoming governor says state will fight vaccine mandate

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says he's asked the state’s attorney general to be prepared to challenge President Joe Biden’s new COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In a statement on Thursday, Gordon called it an “egregious example of big government overreach.”

Gordon and his wife are both vaccinated but he has stressed that vaccination is an “intensely personal” decision.

While he issued a statewide mask mandate during the winter surge, Gordon has vowed not to issue any vaccine mandates.

Wyoming lawmakers have already been working on legislation aimed at prohibiting businesses from requiring vaccinations for their next session.

His full statement is as follows:

“The Biden Administration’s announcement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing for private businesses is an egregious example of big government overreach.

Our Constitution was written and fought for to protect our liberties as American citizens. This administration’s latest pronouncement demonstrates its complete disregard for the rule of law and the freedoms individuals and private companies enjoy under our Constitution. In Wyoming, we believe that government must be held in check.

I have asked the Attorney General to stand prepared to take all actions to oppose this administration’s unconstitutional overreach of executive power. It has no place in America. Not now, and not ever.”