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A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 15 OctOber 2021

Texas order reflects growing GOP vaccine mandates hostility

medical freedom.” expected to be sold out by next week,
said Jazz spokesman Frank Zang.
In Tennessee, Republican lawmakers “I think there’s understanding of
pushing GOP Gov. Bill Lee to con- what’s at stake here, in terms of hav-
sider further loosening COVID-19 ing a safe environment for people to
restrictions, including vaccine re- enjoy sports and concerts and shows
quirements, could undermine a $500 again,” he said.
million incentive deal to lure a Ford
Motor Co. project, the House speak- COVID-19 vaccinations have been
er told a local radio station. given to more than 200 million
Americans, and serious side effects
In Indiana, Republican Gov. Eric have proved extremely rare. Experts
Holcomb is also resisting a push from say any risk from the vaccine is far
within his party to ban workplace lower than the danger posed by CO-
vaccine mandates. VID-19.

Bills are being introduced or drafted Recent polling shows about half of
elsewhere, too, including Ohio and Americans favor requiring workers
New Hampshire, where the Re- in large companies to get vaccinated
(AP) — With the governor of Tex- lion Americans. publican sponsor was elected House or tested weekly. But people are split
as leading the charge, conserva- speaker after his predecessor died of based on their political party, with
tive Republicans in several states Noting the nation’s COVID-19 COVID-19. about 6 in 10 Republicans opposing
are moving to block or undercut death toll of more than 700,000, the mandate for employees, accord-
President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 White House press secretary Jen Psa- “We have made it clear that govern- ing to the survey by The Associated
vaccine mandates for private em- ki accused the opposition of putting ment mandates are not the path to Press and NORC-Center for Public
ployers before the regulations are politics ahead of safety. successful vaccination rates and will Affairs Research.
even issued. only cause further division in this
“I think it’s pretty clear when you country,” Speaker Sherm Packard Montana is the only state so far to
The growing battle over what some make a choice that’s against all pub- said last month. pass a law banning private employers
see as overreach by the federal gov- lic health information and data out from requiring vaccines. The mea-
ernment is firing up a segment of the there, that it’s not based on what is In Utah, lawmakers have not taken sure includes penalties for business
Republican Party base, even though in the interests of the people you are action, but a crowd of over 600 peo- owners of a $500 fine or prison. It
many large employers have already governing. It is perhaps in the interest ple packed a legislative hearing room is facing two court challenges, from
decided on their own to require their of your own politics,” she said. last week. the Montana Medical Association
workers to get the shot. and from a law firm that says the rule
Several large companies in Texas have Rob Moore, CEO of Salt Lake City- interferes with businesses’ decisions
The dustup will almost certainly end already implemented their own vac- based Big-D Construction, said he about how to provide a safe working
up in court since GOP attorneys gen- cine mandates, and two Texas-based supports vaccines but has questions environment.
eral in nearly half of the states have airlines, Southwest and American, about the mandate rollout. He already
vowed to sue once the rule is un- indicated Tuesday they would follow has a worker shortage on his job sites, As judges weigh some of these cases,
veiled. the order of the Biden administra- and he said employee surveys tell him much will depend on exactly how the
tion, saying federal action supersedes that nearly 20% of his workers don’t nationwide rule is written. It will be
The courts have long upheld vac- any state mandate or law. want to get inoculated, so they would drafted as a temporary emergency
cine mandates, and the Constitution need to be tested weekly. rule by the Occupational Safety and
gives the federal government the up- Elsewhere, lawmakers in Arkan- Health Administration, which has
per hand over the states, but with the sas have approved a measure creat- “That’s heavy on our mind right broad power to regulate the work-
details still unannounced and more ing vaccine-mandate exemptions. now. I don’t know if the federal gov- place.
conservative judges on the bench, the Though the GOP governor hasn’t ernment has thought through that
outcome isn’t entirely clear. said whether he will sign it, it has all that well. The cost is going to be “They will have to frame it in a way
prompted fears that businesses will enormous,” he said. that makes a case this is workplace-
On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Ab- be forced to choose whether to break related and not just an attempt to
bott issued an executive order bar- federal or state law. In other sectors, vaccine require- raise vaccination rates in the United
ring private companies or any other ments have gone smoothly. In Utah, States more broadly,” said Dorit Ru-
entity from requiring vaccines. It was “We are tying the hands of Arkansas the NBA’s Jazz is making its employ- binstein Reiss, a professor at the Uni-
perhaps the most direct challenge yet businesses that want to make their ees get vaccinated. It is also requiring versity of California Hastings College
to Biden’s announcement a month own decision in how best to keep fans at games to show proof of vacci- of the Law. “I expect the main benefit
ago that workers at private compa- their people safe,” said Randy Zook, nation or a negative COVID-19 test. to the mandate will be that it gives
nies with more than 100 employees president of the Arkansas Chamber So far, just a few ticket refunds have cover to companies that already want
would have to get vaccinated or tested of Commerce. Some of the state’s been needed, and the season opener is to do that.”
weekly for the coronavirus. largest companies, including Walmart
and Tyson Foods, have required some
“No entity in Texas can compel re- or all employees to get vaccinated.
ceipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any
individual ... who objects to such vac- Calls for special legislative sessions to
cination,” Abbott wrote in his order. counter vaccine mandates have been
heard in states such as Wyoming,
White House officials brushed off Kansas and South Dakota, where Re-
Abbott’s order, saying the question publican Gov. Kristi Noem is so far
of whether state law could supersede resisting calls to immediately consid-
federal was settled 160 years ago dur- er a bill that would guarantee people
ing the Civil War. They said the Biden could opt out.
administration will push through the
opposition and put the private work- “I hear from people almost daily who
place mandate into effect along with are going to lose their jobs, are living
others it ordered for federal contrac- in fear,” said Republican state Rep.
tors and employees at health care fa- Scott Odenbach, who has clashed
cilities that receive Medicare or Med- with Noem on the issue. “They
icaid reimbursements. All told, those shouldn’t have to choose between
mandates could affect up to 100 mil- feeding their family and their own