CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — An outgoing Wyoming Republican state representative is organizing a protest to urge Republican Gov. Mark Gordon to discontinue coronavirus health restrictions that are set to expire on Jan. 8.
State Rep. Scott Clem said he plans on marching Monday at the Wyoming State Capitol to protest the “tyranny” of the governor and his public health orders meant to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Clem did not immediately respond to a request for comment made by the Casper Star-Tribune on Tuesday.
Wyoming’s Republican Party leadership, which has promoted the protest on its Facebook page, said the organization had no role in organizing the event.
“We are not organizing this event,” Frank Eathorne, the Wyoming Republican Party chairman, said in a text message to the Star-Tribune. “Scott Clem is a sitting legislator and the party assists with anything consistent with our platform and resolutions.”
Gordon’s Dec. 9 order limited capacity at indoor venues, implemented a mask mandate in all indoor spaces and reduced hours at bars and restaurants.
Despite the order, Wyoming still has some of the most lenient public health restrictions in the country, the Star-Tribune reported. The state also remained one of the 10 worst states in coronavirus cases per capita as of Tuesday.
Health experts agree that wearing masks or other face coverings in public helps reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus when people can’t socially distance themselves by staying six feet apart.
