Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR) is being sued by police and firefighter groups over the state's vaccine mandate, according to FOX 12.
According to the local news outlet:
The Fraternal Order of Police, a firefighters group in Klamath Falls, and nine Oregon State Police are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Brown and the state of Oregon are named as defendants.
The lawsuit claims the executive order violates both the state and U.S. Constitutions, citing the First Amendment and freedom of religion and expression.
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“Forcing them to decide between their livelihoods and vindicating their statutory and constitutional rights is unconscionable and wrong,” the lawsuit states.
The governor's vaccine mandate announced August 19 is outlined on the state's website. It's worth highlighting that submitting to testing is no longer a valid alternative:
PORTLAND, OR—Governor Kate Brown today announced two new vaccination measures to address Oregon’s hospital crisis, caused by the Delta variant surge, and to help keep Oregon students safe in the upcoming school year and minimize disruptions to in-person instruction:
--Oregon’s vaccination requirement for health care workers will no longer have a testing alternative. Health care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.
--All teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later....
In both cases, health care workers and educators who are not yet vaccinated are urged to speak with their doctor or primary care provider to get their remaining questions about vaccination answered immediately, so they can begin the vaccination process in time to meet the new requirements. In the case of educators, the Governor outlined the importance of masks and staff vaccinations to protect students: because children under 12 are still not yet eligible for vaccination, masks are a critical mitigation measure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Ensuring all the adults around students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 adds another layer of protection for students as well.
The language communicated above also suggests that those who have not yet gotten vaccinated will suddenly decide to do so once they talk to a doctor. That can certainly be a benefit to people who want to know more about the benefits and any risks to them getting vaccinated based on their own individual circumstances. It is far too simplistic though to suggest that the need for questions to be answered is the only reason why some people may not wish to get the vaccine.
FOX 12 noted that the lawsuit refers to a tweet from Gov. Brown from 2020, which further exemplified her pro-abortion politics.
Many will continue to attack and try to chip away at reproductive rights. Here in Oregon, I will continue to defend access to the full complement of reproductive health care services for all.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) June 29, 2020
Didn't you just hours earlier say "to lead thriving lives, Oregonians must have the ability to control our own bodies and make informed decisions about our health..."
— Cory Peters (@cptwenty4) June 29, 2020
While the governor was speaking about abortion and not vaccine mandates, it's worth highlighting the hypocrisy of those who would be in favor of abortion as a matter of right to bodily autonomy, but then also impose vaccine mandates on people.
Perhaps no hypocrisy is more ironic than the executive staff at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) emphatically calling for vaccine mandates in an opinion piece for The New York Times.
Gov. Brown also last week issued a mask mandate for most outdoor settings, regardless of vaccine status. It's a pointless mandate, and people know it. As Drew Marine reported last weekend for the local news outlet, "Many Oregon State Fair attendees went without masks as statewide outdoor mask mandate now in effect."