Last Friday, a federal appeals court ruled that the Biden administration cannot enforce its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors in the state of Alabama.
Due to its participation in a lawsuit seeking to halt the mandate, Alabama, along six other states and the Associated Builders and Contractors, will be free from the decree’s enforcement.
In the ruling, which was issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, the three-judge panel’s majority outlined that only the parties that joined the lawsuit would be granted relief from the administration’s mandate.
Issued by the White House in September 2021, Executive Order 14042 dictated that certain federal contractors mandate their respected workforces to become vaccinated against COVID-19.
The following month, Attorney General Steve Marshall joined a lawsuit with the six other state attorneys general in an effort to prohibit the “lawless and authoritarian” mandate’s implementation in their respected states’ jurisdictions.
The lawsuit alleged that the edict was “untenable” for state agencies that perform contract services for the federal government. The plaintiffs pointed to the “billions of contracting dollars” that could be in jeopardy if the contractors fail to comply with the executive order.
In a statement celebrating the ruling, Gov. Kay Ivey said Friday the court’s decision was a victory for “common sense.”
“Here in Alabama, we continue to fight for common sense, and today’s ruling is another win for not only common sense, but for freedom,” she said. “Many Alabamians, myself included, were strongly opposed to these outrageous mandates, and we fought back and won. I am proud to continue standing up for Alabamians.”
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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