State Sen. Elliott, 19 co-sponsors drop bill granting medical, religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Another Alabama lawmaker is going to take a crack at giving employers some relief from a vaccine mandate established by the Biden administration that would impact businesses with federal government contracts and employers of 100 or more.

Under the Biden administration’s use of administrative law, those employees would be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, or in the case of private sector businesses with 100 employees or more, have those declining to get the vaccine show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Daphne) has drafted a bill that would create exceptions to the mandate by prohibiting an employer from requiring an employee to receive a COVID-19 vaccination when the employee “objects to vaccination based on a religious belief or for medical reasons, including recovery from COVID-19.”

“No individual should be forced by an overreaching federal mandate to choose between providing for their family and taking a vaccine that they believe is contrary to their religious beliefs or detrimental to their health,” Elliott said in a statement given to Yellowhammer News.

The effort will require a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override Gov. Kay Ivey’s special session call.

In addition to the bill’s chief sponsor Elliott, co-sponsors of the bill include State Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) and State Sens. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville), Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook), Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road), Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), April Weaver (R-Brierfield), Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville), Del Marsh (R-Anniston), Tom Butler (R-Madison), Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva), Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville), David Sessions (R-Grand Bay), Jack Williams (R-Semmes), Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro), Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills), Tim Melson (R-Florence) and Andrew Jones (R-Centre).

Draft of bill below:

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.