The Carbon County Republican Party is calling Teton County’s new facemask mandate “unconstitutional.”
The party took to social media on Thursday night, just hours after the Teton County mandate took effect, to heavily criticize the order and share a portion of the Wyoming Constitution that covers health care freedoms.
“Will you comply with another unconstitutional mask mandate or illegal shutdown of select ‘unessential work-a-day’ private businesses? Let us know where you stand Wyoming, and be prepared to STAND UP!” the party wrote on Facebook.
The mandate, adopted because of increases in coronavirus cases in the county, is in effect until at least Sept. 4, but the Jackson Town Council will meet Monday to discuss potentially extending the order in the city. The Teton County Board of Commissioners is expected to meet next week to vote on whether the countywide order should be extended.
“Don’t be caught unaware this time, the ‘2 week cycles of tyranny’ are starting again!” Carbon County party chairman Joey Correnti IV said.
The order requires people to wear masks inside any business or government facility open to the public, health care facilities or while riding on public transportation. This mandate will also extend to K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions, requiring all students, teachers, staff and visitors to wear masks.
There are exceptions to the order, including if a person has a medical condition that would affect their breathing by wearing a mask.
The order doesn’t mandate mask usage in any outdoor situations.
This is the first of Wyoming’s 23 counties to implement a new mask order since the statewide mask mandate expired in mid-March. Teton County kept its mask order in place longer than any other county in the state, letting it expire in early May.
