Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) said the Tucson vaccination warrant for city employees is illegal.
In a press release on Tuesday, Brnovich’s office announced that the city of Tucson violated a state law passed this summer prohibiting local governments from implementing vaccine mandates for their employees.
New Tucson legislation requires employee vaccination or five-day unpaid suspension, according to The Associated Press.
Many democratic cities in the state have passed legislation that conflicts with GOP policies on COVID-19.
“The mandate of the Tucson vaccine is illegal and the city could be held accountable for trying to force employees to take it against their beliefs,” Brnovich said in the press release. “Vaccines against COVID-19 should be an election, not a government mandate.”
Our office has determined today that the Tucson vaccine mandate is illegal and that the city could be held responsible for trying to force employees to adopt it against their beliefs. Vaccines against COVID-19 should be an election, not a government mandate.
Details: https://t.co/VGxgsw9XYR
– Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) September 7, 2021
Brnovich’s office has notified him Tucson said its new law should be repealed or amended, saying the city could face employee liability claims, according to the press release.
This comes after a judge in Pima County, Arizona, last month denied a request from the Tucson Police Union to stop the city’s vaccination warrant, the AP reported.