TENNESSEE, USA — A Tennessee Republican lawmaker is looking to prohibit vaccine mandates in the workplace.
This comes a month after President Joe Biden announced that companies with 100 or more workers must require the COVID-19 vaccine.
Representative Yusuf Hakeem says no bill has officially been filed on this yet. The Tennessee General Assembly is in a special session this week, where Covid-related issues are not expected to be discussed. But, many Republicans are pushing for a special session next week to discuss these topics.
Hakeem calls the idea to prohibit vaccine mandates for private employers irresponsible.
"All of this has been bubbling up over the past few weeks,” Hakeem said.
Representative Yusuf Hakeem, a Democrat representing Chattanooga in the statehouse, is reacting to the possibility of a law proposed to prohibit private employers from mandating Covid vaccines.
"Frankly, I feel it's asinine to even consider such a law, when we look at the fact that citizens and their children are dying, in my view, unnecessarily,” Hakeem told Channel 3.
Rep. Hakeem says this potential bill is equivalent to lawmakers saying "we want to continue the surge" and what is being proposed is totally opposite of what Tennessee needs at this time.
"If we want our economy to get back on track, if we want to be outside, we're going to have to get this surge under control,” Hakeem told Channel 3.
Last month, President Joe Biden ordered companies with more than 100 employees to require staff to get the Covid vaccine or submit to weekly testing. It's Hakeem's understanding the federal government will have the final say in all this.
"For the State to imply or infer that it's going to supersede the federal government, I think is irresponsible, a lack of understanding of the law, the rules, and the guidelines,” said Hakeem.
Rep. Robin Smith, a Republican from Hixson, says, "I look forward to a special session to discuss the conflict that exists in the public health response to COVID between the private property rights of a business and personal rights of the employers. The fact that mandates are being used demonstrates the need to answer legitimate questions rather than name calling and bickering."
A bill has been filed in the House to allow employees who are fired for not receiving the covid vaccine to still get benefits.
Republicans are pushing for a special session next week to discuss Covid-related issues, like vaccine mandates and masking in schools. It's tentatively scheduled for October 27. However, the assembly needs two-thirds of the house and senate to sign the petition for the special session to take place.
