Related reading – we fully endorse:
We implore readers to this minute contact their Iowa state legislators who are meeting this morning in a special session first intended to deal with redistricting.
Political observers we have read indicate that the plan on the table — the second iteration of the process — is likely to pass. The Republicans in charge need to move on promptly to deal with a critical matters that cannot wait – employer mandates for COVID vaccines.
Legislators are networked and are well aware of the issue and the general consensus among Republicans and freedom loving people in support of freedom to work without misguided, useless as to disease prevention even harmful medical mandates.
Legislative approaches in other states exist to address the problem. Iowa Republican legislators have had time to formulate an approach to effectively ban employer mandates to protect more citizen workers and to understand that health care workers also need protection from injection mandates. They have no excuse not to do their duty.
Below is a collection of synopsis of state regulations that have banned vaccine mandates by employers. At this writing, we suspect the most encompassing approach might be something like what Montana appears to have done — simply amend Iowa’s Chapter 216 Civil Rights code to include a prohibition on discrimination as to COVID-19 vaccine status, add it to the list of prohibited matters already present.
These synopsis via Beckers Hospital review here and here.
Florida: On April 2, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said businesses are prohibited from requiring customers to verify a COVID-19 vaccination status or post-transmission recovery to gain access to the business. Effective Sept. 16, the state will give $5,000 fines to any public or private entity that requires proof of vaccination, News 4 Jax reported. Since asking for proof of vaccination is part of a vaccine mandate, some companies may pay millions of dollars in fines.
Indiana: On April 29, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law prohibiting state or local governments from requiring anyone, including employees, to show proof of vaccination.
Montana: On May 7, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill that prohibits discrimination based on vaccination status. This includes prohibiting an employer or government entity to refuse employment to a person or to discriminate against a person in compensation or in a term, condition or privilege of employment based on the person’s vaccination status. Additionally, an individual may not be required to receive any vaccine whose use is allowed under an emergency use authorization or any vaccine undergoing safety trials.
Montana: An employer cannot discriminate against an employee based on their vaccination status. They cannot refuse employment or withhold wage increases based on having a COVID-19 vaccine. An individual cannot be required to get a vaccine that only has emergency use authorization or is undergoing safety trials.
Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Oct. 11 banning any entity in the state, including private employers, from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The order states that “no entity in Texas” can enforce vaccination against anyone, including an employee or consumer, who objects “for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.”
Texas: In a bill that passed both chambers, employers are banned from refusing to hire, discharging or discriminating against an individual because the individual does not provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status.Ohio: In a bill that has passed in both chambers, private and public entities are banned from requiring an individual to receive a vaccine that is not fully approved by the FDA. Unvaccinated staff members can’t be required to refrain from or engage in activities or precautions that differ from those who have received the vaccine.
Most critical at this writing is stopping all employer and business vaccine mandates. Stopping Zuckerberg type election buying is also important, could be done quickly.
