U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt is urging Alabama Legislators to protect workers against the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates. It was announced today that Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4 or get tested for the virus weekly.
The Alabama Senate passed two anti-vaccine discrimination bills earlier this week, and the Alabama House of Representatives will see those bills on Thursday, Yellowhammer News reported.
Senate Bill 9 and Senate Bill 15 are two of several bills the GOP-led legislature filed during the special session. Senate Bill 9 will provide workers the ability to claim exemption from the vaccine mandate. Senate Bill 15 will authorize the attorney general to pursue civil action against violators of the state’s ban on vaccine passports. The bill also requires parental consent for minors to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Chris Elliot, who authored Senate Bill 9, told the Alabama Daily News, “We’re trying to make this as easy as possible for the rank-and-file employees that don’t have a law degree or don’t want to go out and hire an attorney to be able to claim their exemption without an undue burden.”
Britt, former chief executive of the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), is publicly disagreeing with her former employer. BCA is against Senate Bill 9, arguing that it puts employers in a “no-win position” by forcing them to comply with conflicting state and federal laws.
Robin Stone, the BCA’s interim executive director, stated, “This legislation would prevent Alabama employers from making their own personnel decisions and place that authority in the hands of state government.”
Britt stated, “Joe Biden’s tyrannical mandate threatens the livelihood of countless Alabamians and the freedom of every American. This vast overreach and coercion is not a solution to a problem; it only causes problems. Real leadership would find a way to simultaneously protect the lives of Americans while preserving their jobs and safeguarding their freedoms.”
Senate Bills 9 and 15 now move to the full House for a vote.
