Bill to block mandatory microchips fails

POWELL (WNE) — As lawmakers debated a bill that would bar employers from forcing their workers to be microchipped, a certain skepticism hung over the idea. And those doubts — about whether a ban was premature, unnecessary or just a bit out there — prompted the House to narrowly reject the legislation last week. 

Senate File 72 sponsored by Sen. Dan Laursen (R-Powell) failed on a 32-28 vote, despite some at-times dire warnings from proponents. 

As the bill made its way through the Senate — where it passed 19-12 — and into the House, Laursen said he repeatedly heard the objection that “it’s not here in Wyoming yet. Why do we worry?” 

But the senator argued it was better to be proactive against microchips, which have been growing in popularity and in use cases. 

“We went through some mandates with Covid and we all said at that time, ‘You’re not going to have to have a mask; you’re not going to have to be injected,’” Laursen said at a House labor committee meeting last month. “So let’s get out in front of it [microchipping].” 

However, a majority of the House members were unconvinced of the need to act. 

Rep. Dave Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne) said he agreed with blocking businesses from mandatory implantations of always present, data-collecting chips. However, given that such a situation has yet to arise in the United States, the lawmaker said there are too many “what ifs.”

“... There isn’t [mandatory] implementation of microchips; that doesn’t happen anywhere in the country,” Rep. Mike Yin (D-Jackson) said. “So I’m not sure why we would solve the problem that doesn’t exist instead of solving the problem that does exist — which is, there is mandatory tracking by both government and employers.” 

This story was published on March 7, 2023.