11/02/2021
3 minute read: This week across the country, cliff notes version for Ohio Senate Republicans Ohio House GOP
📣 Twenty states filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration in federal court: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming signed on to one lawsuit Friday, which was filed in a federal district court in Missouri. The lawsuit purpose is “to challenge Defendants’ use of federal procurement statutes to create sweeping new power to issue decrees over large swaths of the U.S. economy and take over areas of traditional state power.” (1)
📣 Another group of states including Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Georgia. (2)
📣 On October 29th, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed an Executive Order proclaiming the “Federal Government's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Interference in State Government Operations.” (3)
📣 Texas AG filed separately on Friday to sue the Biden administration saying it “committed repeated and abusive federal overreach to force upon Americans something they do not want.”
📣 Also, on Friday, Iowa Gov. Reynolds signed a bill into law that will give employees of Iowa businesses wider latitude to claim medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination mandates. It also would allow people to receive unemployment benefits if they're fired for noncompliance. (4)
📣 Tennessee passed legislation at 2:30 am on the 30th in special session. Under the legislation: no person, private, business, government entity, or school would be able to ask for proof of COVID-19 vaccine. It also gives unemployment benefits to those who refuse to get vaccine and are fired. (5)
📣 Arizona’s AG sued the Biden administration as well citing the southern border, not the vaccine, should be the emphasis.
📣 Early in the week, Gov. DeSantis sued the Biden administration saying mandates threaten the state’s economy.
This week in Ohio:
❌ The Governor has NOT signed an Executive Order.
❌ The Attorney General did NOT join either lawsuit.
🎇 The General Assembly passed legislation on Wednesday that would allow for some usage of fireworks on certain holidays. (6)
What can we surmise from this week alone?
The General Assembly has NO will to hash out COVID-19 legislation – not even in the face of an federal mandate that implements coercion of Ohio workers.
And our AG’s “warning letter” (signed on Sept. 17th stating“ litigation will follow the implementation of the proposed mandate on private sector employees to either get a COVID-19 shot, submit to weekly testing, or be fired.”) was grandstanding. All the other states - who signed the letter - joined one of the lawsuits above. (7)
Every state that joined a lawsuit, except Kansas, has a Republican governor. Every state, except Iowa, has a Republican AG.
Right now, our governor, our AG, and our legislators are failing ALL Ohioans.
Workers are necessary; mandates are not.
🆘 Contact our AG and ask him: why didn’t Ohio join a lawsuit to protect Ohioans against implementation of proposed mandates by the federal government as stated on Sept. 17th? https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/contact
1) https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/show_temp-pl.pdf?sfvrsn=950657f1_2
2)https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.gasd.83202/gov.uscourts.gasd.83202.68.0.pdf
3)http://govdocs.nebraska.gov/docs/pilot/pubs/eofiles/21-16.pdf
4) www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/29/iowa-covid-vaccine-mandate-law-expands-exemptions-gov-kim-reynolds/6193545001/
5) https://fox17.com/news/local/to-safeguard-rights-tenn-senate-passes-bill-tackling-vaccines-masks-health-powers
6) https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2021/10/28/ohio-legislature-votes-to-legalize-fireworks-on-holidays
7) www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/September-2021/AG-Yost-Joins-States-Demanding-President-Biden-Dro
