vaccine mandates Archives - Tennessee Star

Data Expert Predicts ‘Homeschool Boom’ After CDC Committee Votes to Add COVID Shot to Children’s Routine Immunizations

October 22, 2022October 21, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Data journalist and pollster Rich Baris posted to social media he predicts a “homeschool boom” following the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory committee unanimously voted to add the COVID shot to the children and adolescent immunization schedule, a move that will likely lead many states to require COVID shots for school attendance.

Baris, also known as “The People’s Pundit,” tweeted Wednesday, “Parents will flip the F–k out, with good reason. Homeschool boom.”

Crom’s Crommentary: ‘My Body My Choice’, but No Choice from Democratic Party Except for Abortion

October 12, 2022October 12, 2022 Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Vaccine Mandates from Biden

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022 The Center Square

Sandy Brick felt her freedom was on the line. The Head Start teacher taught through the pandemic and opposed a federal “jab-or-job” mandate from the president.

Judge Terry A. Doughty, on the bench of a U.S. District Court in Louisiana, on Wednesday agreed. He ruled the federal government cannot require Head Start program teachers, staff and volunteers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, nor can it require adults or students to wear masks. His order “permanently enjoins the vaccine and mask mandate in 24 states,” a release from the Liberty Justice Center says, and impacts 280,000 teachers, staff and volunteers.

COVID-Era High School Graduates Face Uncertain Futures in College

August 12, 2022August 11, 2022 Admin

After nearly two years of unprecedented lockdowns, mandates, and other restrictions on daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of graduating high school students are preparing to head off to college without having learned nearly as much as they should have.

The Associated Press reports that such students are about to enter college significantly farther behind the academic standards of previous years, almost entirely due to the pandemic’s forced transition to “online learning,” a shortage of teachers, and mask and vaccine mandates that disrupted school life for millions of students across the country. Such students risk the possibility of being grossly underprepared for the level of work required by college, and could result in a massive spike in college dropouts in the coming years.

Retired JAG: Officers Forcing out Unvaxxed Military Pers Could Be Guilty of Following, Issuing an ‘Unlawful Order’

July 7, 2022July 13, 2022 Neil W. McCabe

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed former Army JAG attorney Sean Timmons, a partner at Tully Rinckey, about how officers enforcing the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate could be sanctioned for issuing and or following unlawful orders.

Rep. Rose Co-Sponsors Massie’s Bill to Ban Military Vaccine Mandates

July 4, 2022July 3, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

As Tennessee’s unvaccinated National Guardsmen face an uncertain future after Thursday’s deadline to take the COVID-19 jab or be fired has come and gone, one member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee has taken action at the federal level.

Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06) is cosponsoring a bill with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) that would prevent government mandated vaccinations for members of the U.S. Military.

Cincinnati Drops Mandated Masking and Testing for City Employees

March 9, 2022March 8, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

The city of Cincinnati Tuesday announced that it would end all mask and vaccine mandates for city employees, effective immediately.

“Today, alongside top health experts and City leaders, we announced the removal of masking and testing requirements for all City employees and facilities,” Mayor Aftab Pureval (D) said on Twitter.

Canadian Trucker Urges Nationwide Strike over COVID-19 Rules in Viral Video

February 22, 2022February 21, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

police officers standing outside in the snow

In a now-viral video an unidentified man encouraged a national strike in every Canadian business sector, along with active support for those who are opposing COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates in the country.

“You’ve seen what’s happening in Ottawa,” the man, whose face was blurred in the video, said. “Canadians are known around the world to be among the most kind, most peace-loving people anywhere. And so you know when Canadians star rising up by the millions, to oppose what their government is doing, something is horribly wrong.”

George Mason University Pulls Booster Mandate After Students Fight Back

February 2, 2022February 1, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

After students at George Mason University (GMU) fought the school’s administration on mandatory booster shots for COVID-19, the school Monday announced that it has scrapped the mandate, though it did not credit the students for their efforts.

“George Mason University announced today it will strongly encourage students who remain unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster, but no longer require it, in observance of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ opinion,” the school said in a message written by President Gregory Washington.

Virginia Attorney General Says College Mandate Vaccines for Students Illegal

January 29, 2022January 28, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Virginia’s Attorney General released a legal opinion Friday saying that under Virginia law, vaccine mandates for college students are illegal.

“Absent specific authority conferred by the General Assembly, public institutions of higher education in Virginia may not require vaccination against COVID-19 as a general condition of students’ enrollment or in-person attendance,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in his opinion.

‘If There Is Risk, There Must Be Choice’: Dr. Robert Malone Stirs Defeat Mandates Rally in DC

January 24, 2022January 23, 2022 Admin

Protesters opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates marched on Washington, D.C. on Sunday, embarking on a mile-long march before convening at a rally outside the Lincoln Memorial.

Organizers with Children’s Health Defense predicted 20,000 people would attend the event, Defeat the Mandates.

Speakers included Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., virologist and immunologist Dr. Robert Malone, investigative journalist Lara Logan, and doctors and other experts.

Virginia Public Universities Rescind Vaccine Mandates Following Youngkin’s Order

January 21, 2022January 20, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Some of Virginia’s public universities have rescinded their vaccine mandates after Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) took office this week and signed a flurry of executive orders on his first day.

One of those orders banned vaccine mandates by employers.

Carhartt Responds to Vaccine Mandate Controversy

January 19, 2022January 23, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Clothing brand Carhartt, which primarily makes outdoor work clothes, caused a firestorm when a leaked email from its CEO saying that the company’s vaccine mandate would remain in place was circulated online.

Carhartt CEO Matt Valade’s email, sent Friday, said

Philly Chef Calls Out Mayor for Escaping to Maryland to Dine Without COVID Restrictions

January 16, 2022January 16, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

A Philadelphia chef used his large Instagram platform to chastise Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) dining in Maryland, where COVID-19 restrictions are less stringent than they are in the City of Brotherly Love.

“Glad you’re enjoying indoor dining with no social distancing or mask wearing in Maryland tonight while restaurants here in Philly close, suffer and fight for every nickel just to survive,” Marc Vetri said, tagging Kenney in the post. “I guess all your press briefings and your narrative of unsafe indoor dining don’t apply to you. Thank you for clearing it all up for us tonight.”

Rep. Green: No Data to Suggest Massive Disparity in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Hospitalizations

January 14, 2022January 13, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

A Tennessee member of the U.S. House of Representatives appeared on Fox News’ “Varney & Co.” with host Stuart Varney to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

An incredulous Varney opened the segment asking Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07), a physician, about Americans who are vaccinated against COVID-19, but still contracting the virus.

Commentary: Biden Administration Is Making Lists of Religious Vaccine Objectors

January 13, 2022January 12, 2022 The Center Square

Doctor with mask on holding COVID-19 Vaccine

A tiny administrative agency in the District of Columbia announced a new policy Tuesday that will likely serve as a model for a whole-of-government push to assemble lists of Americans who object on religious grounds to a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia—a federal independent entity that assists officers in the District of Columbia courts in formulating release recommendations and providing supervision and services to defendants awaiting trial—announced a new records system that will store the names and “personal religious information” of all employees who make “religious accommodation requests for religious exception from the federally mandated vaccination requirement.”

Awaiting Supreme Court Decision, Iowa OSHA Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Businesses

January 12, 2022January 11, 2022 The Center Square

Iowans are waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees. In the meantime, they’re moving ahead with actions of their own.

Iowa Department of Education Communications Director Heather Doe told The Center Square in an emailed statement that since Iowa is a state-plan state, the Iowa Division of Labor typically enforces workplace safety in Iowa instead of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The state is required to notify OSHA whether it will adopt a given Emergency Temporary Standard or provide notice it will not adopt it because its standards are as effective as the new federal standard. Iowa needed to respond to the standard by Jan. 7.

Iowa Labor Commissioner Rod Roberts did so, saying that the Hawkeye State will not adopt or enforce the mandate.

Liberal Supreme Court Justices Show Weak Grasp of Basic COVID-19 Facts

January 11, 2022January 10, 2022 Admin

The liberal justices on the Supreme Court demonstrated a stunningly weak grasp of basic facts concerning the COVID-19 pandemic Friday, as they defended the Biden regime’s policies during oral arguments over vaccine mandates in the workplace.

The court heard separate oral arguments over federal vaccine mandates for employers with more than 100 employees, and for health care workers at facilities receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding.

Justice Stephen Breyer at one point seemed to suggest outrageously that the OSHA mandate would prevent 100 percent of daily US COVID cases. It is common knowledge now that the vaccinated people can still spread the disease.

Arizona Supreme Court Explains Voids of State Vaccination, Mask Ban Laws

January 10, 2022January 9, 2022 The Center Square

exterior of Arizona's Supreme Court building

Arizona’s high court has elaborated on their decision to void additions to the most-recent state budget, saying lawmakers ran afoul of provisions in the state constitution meant to simplify legislation.

Justices released their unanimous opinion Thursday in Arizona School Boards Association et al. v. State of Arizona. The ruling, initially announced in September, affirmed a lower court ruling that said the Legislature went against two parts of the Arizona Constitution.

The opinion nullifies the state’s ban on mask mandates in schools, laws shoring up local election security and other laws justices concluded had little to do with the state budget.

Commentary: Joe Biden’s Failed Policies Has Lead to a COVID Test Shortage

January 9, 2022January 8, 2022 Admin

President Joe Biden walks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as he departs the U.S. Capitol after addressing the House Democratic Caucus, Thursday, October 28, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

America has basically run out of tests for Covid-19 as lines are forming at emergency rooms, urgent care facilities and doctors’ offices, and now patients are simply being turned away nationwide. In the meantime, tests are being rationed to those with greater risk factors just a month after President Joe Biden was pushing “test to stay” in order for Americans to be allowed to go to work, school and to travel.

This comes as the Institutes for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) project an estimated 1.9 million probable Covid infections in the U.S per day — and rising. By the end of January, IHME estimates as many as 2.8 million new cases per day, largely thanks to the new omicron variant that accounts for 95 percent of all new cases, the Centers for Disease Control say.

For perspective, last year, IHME estimated cases peaked at over 500,000 a day in early Jan. 2021.

Commentary: ‘America First’ Has Answers for U.S. Crisis of Confidence

January 5, 2022January 4, 2022 RealClearWire

A majority Americans begin 2022 full of worry and dread. During President Biden’s first year in the White House, societal anxiety surged, including among voters who identify as independents and Democrats. In the newest Axios/Momentive year-end survey, 2021 saw a 50% increase in fear about what 2022 will bring among independents. Democrats weren’t much more sanguine. They began last year with refreshing optimism as their party took control of the White House and Congress, with only 19% of Democratic voters declaring themselves fearful about 2021. By year’s end, that number had surged to 45%.

Reflecting this dour assessment, the RealClearPolitics polling average of Joe Biden’s approve/disapprove ratio also receded sharply for the last year, from a stellar 20-percentage-point surplus in his favor on Inauguration Day, to a minus- 10-point rating.

Given this environment, Republicans naturally grow more confident about the midterm elections. But taking nominal control of Capitol Hill won’t be enough. Will Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy and their lieutenants be content with stopping the woke and socialist-inspired agenda of progressives? Or will they boldly implement a full-throttle populist nationalist “America First” agenda?

Congressman Mark Green Calls Out Biden’s ‘Counterproductive’ Vaccine Mandates

December 31, 2021December 30, 2021 Cooper Moran

U.S Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Tuesday called out President Joe Biden for his “counterproductive” vaccine mandates.

Green, like many other Republican officials, argued Biden’s mandates are hypocritical, as the commander-in-chief admitted “there is no federal solution” to the coronavirus pandemic.

Department of Defense Silent After Lawyer Told Judge it Had ‘Adequate Supply’ of Unavailable Pfizer Vaccine

December 24, 2021December 23, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Department of Defense (DOD) declined to comment on whether it had any of Pfizer’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine called Comirnaty, after one of its lawyers told a federal judge the department had Comirnaty on hand.

“We don’t have anything for you on this,” a DOD spokesman told The Star News Network by email on Wednesday.

Georgia, 23 Other States File Lawsuit Against Head Start Vaccination, Mask Mandate

December 23, 2021December 22, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia is again pushing back against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 mandates.

Georgia and 23 other states are asking the court to block the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Children and Families from requiring Head Start program staff, certain contractors and volunteers to wear masks and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 31.

Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr announced the court challenge against the Head Start vaccination and mask mandate Tuesday.

Ohio University Students Suing School over ‘Illegal’ Vaccine Mandates

December 22, 2021December 21, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A student at Ohio University has filed a lawsuit against the school over its COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

“Everyone who wants to be vaccinated has been vaccinated at Ohio University,” Tyce Patt told The Ohio Star. “I believe it is not only wrong to force students to get an experimental Emergency Use Authorized vaccine to go to class, but also Illegal.”

6th Circuit Ruling Restoring Employer Vaccine Mandate Falsely Claims ‘Options Available to Combat COVID-19 Changed Significantly’ When ‘FDA Granted Approval to One Vaccine on August 23, 2021’

December 19, 2021December 18, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The majority opinion released on Friday by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which restored the Biden administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers with more than 100 employees to mandate that all employees take a COVID-19 vaccinefalsely asserts that Pfizer’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved vaccine is currently available and in use among the general public.”

“At the same time, the options available to combat COVID-19 changed significantly: the FDA granted approval to one vaccine on August 23, 2021, and testing became more readily available,” the majority opinion asserts on page 24 of the ruling.

The majority opinion was written by Obama-appointed Judge Jane Branstretter Stranch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

War Room Pandemic: Steve Bannon Talks to The Star News Network CEO and Editor in Chief, Michael Patrick Leahy About OhioHealth’s Distribution of Not Fully Approved COVID-19 Vaccine

December 18, 2021December 18, 2021 Julie Carr

Stephen K. Bannon welcomed The Star News Network’s CEO and Editor in Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Thursday’s War Room: Pandemic to discuss The Ohio Star’s breaking story by Peter D’Abrasco regarding the unapproved COVID-19 vaccines being distributed by OhioHealth. Bannon: Michael Patrick Leahy from The Ohio Star, you’ve…

Facing Labor Shortages, Several Large Hospital Systems Drop Vaccine Mandates

December 15, 2021December 14, 2021 Admin

Several large U.S. hospital systems have dropped their COVID-19 vaccine requirements for employees in the wake of a U.S. district court’s temporary halt of the Biden regime’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.

After months of protests, the mandate forced thousands of hospital employees to either resign, or be terminated because of their refusal to get vaccinated.

Louisiana-based federal Judge Terry Doughty issued a preliminary injunction on November 30, blocking the federal government from mandating the experimental injections for workers at Medicare or Medicaid-funded healthcare facilities in 40 states.

Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson Won’t Run Against DeWine

December 5, 2021December 4, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives confirmed Friday that he will not run against Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for Ohio’s top office.

“It is far better in Ohio than in D.C.,” Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) reportedly said. “The biggest impact I can have is in Congress being the representative for Ohio’s 8th District.”

Tennessee House Speaker Celebrates Court Ruling Blocking Vaccine Mandates

December 2, 2021December 1, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Tennessee’s Republican House Speaker is celebrating after a federal judge Tuesday struck down President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.

“Speaker Sexton has always maintained that federal mandates imposed on Americans by the Biden administration were unconstitutional,” Doug Kufner, Communications Director for Tennessee’s House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) told The Tennessee Star Wednesday. “These injunctions are the first step in preserving the constitutional rights of Tennesseans and all Americans.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr Challenge Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers

November 17, 2021November 16, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr on Tuesday announced the state has filed a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.

Kemp and Carr announced this in an emailed press release.

Virginia Governor-Elect Youngkin’s Top Campaign Promises in Education, COVID-19, Economics, Law Enforcement, and Elections Policy

November 15, 2021November 14, 2021 Eric Burk

Glenn Youngkin will be Virginia’s next governor, part of a near-complete Republican takeover of Virginia’s government. In 2022, Republicans will be governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor. They will also likely hold a two-seat majority in the House of Delegates, although two close races may go to recounts. However, they will not hold the Senate, where Democrats have a 21-to-19 majority. Still, if one Democratic senator flips on a vote, that would create a tie that lieutenant governor-elect Winsome Sears would break. Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), who House Republicans nominated for Speaker, has said that Republicans do have a mandate, but he is also aware of the need to work across the aisle with the Senate.

All that gives political novice Youngkin strong Republican support to launch efforts to fulfill his campaign promises, but also sets him up for serious challenges to get his policies across the finish line. Still, Virginia governors have extensive power to set policy and funding priorities, and Youngkin will also have executive authority, which will allow him to fulfill some key promises without legislative buy-in.

Lawsuits Challenging Biden’s Vaccine Mandates Mount, Likely Heading to U.S. Supreme Court

November 14, 2021November 14, 2021 The Center Square

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Biden administration over three different vaccine mandates targeting private employees, federal employees and healthcare workers serving Medicare and Medicaid patients.

But lawsuits filed by 27 states over the private sector mandate is setting the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in because they were filed directly in five federal courts of appeals.

Florida Legislation Might Not Completely Ban Vaccine Mandates

November 10, 2021November 9, 2021 Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for a special session in order to ban vaccine mandates and mask mandates, but the legislation being proposed are not going as far as DeSantis initially called for.

One of the bills would require employers to provide alternatives to vaccination, and another bill would allow parents to sue school boards or districts over mask mandates. DeSantis has touted the slate of bills in next week’s special session as some of the “strongest protections for both private and public sector employees anywhere in the country.”

House Speaker Cameron Sexton Answers Questions on Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Omnibus, and Ford

November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 Julie Carr

Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton to the newsmakers line to weigh in on OSHA vaccine mandate and its relation to the Omnibus Bill from last weeks special session in the General Assembly.

Congressman Mark Green Explains the Progressive Alternative Worldview: The Triangle of Tyranny

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 Julie Carr

Thursday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Congressman Mark Green to the newsmakers line to discuss the progressive alternative world view he coined as the Triangle of Tyranny.

Commentary: Youngkin Shock Win in Virginia Vote of No Confidence in Biden, Portends Red Wave for GOP in Congress in 2022

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Admin

This is one of the greatest votes of no confidence in the 21st Century.

Against the destructive policies of President Joe Biden, a torrent of spending that has brought back memories of the 1970s — surging inflation as the middle class are taxed their savings at the grocery store and then scenes of American defeat overseas in Afghanistan that stranded hundreds of Americans and thousands of American allies, who now suffer under the tyranny of the Taliban.

Former Phil Bredesen Employee of 21 Years Jeanette Elrod Discusses Her Recent Firing for Not Getting Vaccinated

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Julie Carr

close up of healthcare worker giving a shot to a patient

Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed former Phil Bredesen employee Jeanette Elrod to the newsmakers line to discuss being fired for refusing to get a COVID vaccine.

Commentary: When the Regular Joes Shrugged

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Admin

Until recently, conservatives were the party of business. They defended the business world not as a necessary evil or because of its efficiencies, but because they thought it exemplified an enterprising, individualist morality. It respected rights of contract, served as an arena for creativity, and allowed socially useful competition. Even now, Republicans condemn the Left’s programs as creeping socialism, seemingly forgetful of the last decade in which corporations became the vanguard of the cultural revolution.

Part of American conservatives’ embrace of capitalism comes from its historically central place in American life. Americans had tamed the wilderness and become an industrial powerhouse by the middle of the 20th century. Most of this activity was rooted neither in the pursuit of glory nor religious conviction—as, perhaps, with Spanish colonialism—but by ordinary economic self-interest, the spirit of Yankee ingenuity.

Crom’s Commentary: By Forcing Vaccination, Democrats Are Losing Constituents

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Julie Carr

Monday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio for another insightful edition of Crom’s Commentary.

Crom’s Commentary: The Idiots Surrounding Joe Biden and His Failed Approach to Public Policy

October 30, 2021October 29, 2021 Julie Carr

Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio for another addition of Crom’s Commentary.

Knox County Sheriff Tells President Biden He Will Not Enforce Mask Mandate

October 27, 2021October 26, 2021 Morgan Nicole Veysey

A local sheriff has responded to President Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees. Sheriff Tom Spangler, of Knoxville, Tennessee sent Biden a letter telling the President that he would not be enforcing the mandate on his staff.

Spangler said in his letter that enforcing the mandate was unconstitutional and was putting the lives of the people of Knoxville at risk.

Representative Brandon Ogles Talks Special Session Mature Minor Doctrine, Mask and Vaccine Mandates

October 27, 2021October 26, 2021 Julie Carr

Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Representative Brandon Ogles to the newsmakers line to discuss the special session addressing mask and vaccine mandates concerning the mature minor doctrine.

Brnovich Requests Restraining Order Against Biden Vaccine Mandate

October 27, 2021October 26, 2021 The Center Square

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich asked the U.S. District Court in Arizona for a temporary restraining order and nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

“The COVID-19 vaccine mandate is one of the greatest infringements upon individual liberty, federalism, and the separation of powers by any administration in our country’s history,” Brnovich said in a news release Friday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis Spends Weekend on Fox News, Pitching Florida to National Audience

October 26, 2021October 25, 2021 Grant Holcomb

Tucker Carlson interviewing Ron DeSantis on Fox News

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent the weekend making the rounds on Fox News programming where he lauded his work as governor and the varying efforts he is pushing. Notably, DeSantis spent time on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Friday where he said President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate is unconstitutional.

DeSantis Calls for Special Session over Vaccine Mandates

October 23, 2021October 23, 2021 Grant Holcomb

Ron DeSantis giving speech on saving Florida jobs

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for a special legislative session to resolve the issue of vaccine mandates in Florida. On Twitter, DeSantis said no one should lose their job over a vaccine.

“I am calling the Florida Legislature back for a Special Session to pursue stronger protections for Floridians against federal government mandates,” DeSantis said. “No one should lose their job over a COVID shot.”

Tennessee Representative Scott DesJarlais Sends Letter to President Biden Warning Him of Result of Vaccine Mandates for Tennessee Valley Authority Employees

October 22, 2021October 21, 2021 Kaitlin Housler

On Thursday in a press release, Tennessee Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) announced that he sent a letter to President Joe Biden regarding his executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccines for federal workers and the effects it will have on Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) employees.

Ohio House Speaker Shuts Down Planned Hearing on Vaccine Mandates

October 16, 2021October 16, 2021 The Center Square

Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp has left little doubt about the future of bills that would give most Ohio workers and students the ability to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine by ordering a committee chair to cancel an upcoming meeting.

House Bill 435 failed to get a full vote Wednesday in the House for the second time in two weeks, with Cupp, R-Lima, saying the House was moving on to different things. He reiterated that message Thursday in a letter to Health Committee Chair Scott Lipps, R-Franklin, shutting down a seventh hearing on House Bill 248, the Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act, a separate bill dealing with the same subjects.

Judge Strikes Down Vaccine Mandates in Florida

October 16, 2021October 15, 2021 Grant Holcomb

Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith has ruled against a business in Sarasota requesting to impose a vaccine mandate for its customers to enter.

The store, Bead Abode, requested that Smith grant their request for a mandate, but denied them saying Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ vaccine mandate ban “assures open markets.”