People are protesting Covid’s terms in Olympia on Sunday. (KIRO Radio, Hanna Scott)
More than 100 people gathered on Sunday in the state capital in Olympia to protest Governor Inslee’s masked warrant and mandatory vaccination orders for certain state workers, as well as for state workers. health care and the K-12.
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The crowd had placards that said “I will not comply,” “Freedom over tyranny,” and “Recall Inslee,” among others. Many of the people were health workers who say the vaccine is too new to be safe. Others say they are concerned about the impact their children have, as much as the potential side effects of the vaccine may affect them in the long run as well as the loss of their rights in the future.
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Governor Inslee, the Secretary of State for Health and medical officers across the state have said all people should hide or the delta variant will continue to spread and overwhelm hospitals. Medical workers at the rally argue that the only reason hospitals will be overwhelmed is due to staff shortages when staff are out of work due to mandatory vaccinations, either because they are leaving because of the mandate. or they lose their job if they refuse to comply.
The 35 health officials in Washington counties say the dramatic rise in COVID cases in the state in recent weeks is fueled by the much more transmissible delta variant and because approximately 30% of Washington people are not vaccinated. . They warn that the rise will continue without an increase in vaccination rates and could lead to even more restrictions.
Although many protesters in Olympia said Inslee’s terms of office are far-reaching and abuse of power, multiple court rulings since the beginning of the pandemic have confirmed Inslee’s authority and that of public health officials during the public health emergency.
Constitutional rights
There are no constitutional rights at stake under a vaccination warrant. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1905 during the Jacobson v. Massachusetts case, to maintain the authority of the states enact a mandatory vaccination law.
In addition, the Commission for Equal Employment Opportunities has been addressed that under federal law it is legal for companies to require vaccination of employees before entering the workplace. Exceptions are made for pregnancy, religious beliefs. and health complications.
The EEO states: “Federal EEO laws do not prevent the employer from requiring the COVID-19 vaccine to all employees who physically enter the workplace, subject to the reasonable accommodation provisions of Title VII and the ADA and other EEO considerations. “