153 Methodist employees where terminated or resigned over this
Abbott should call a special session to address covid vaccine mandate
Rivals Challenge Abbott on Employer Vaccination Mandate
Allen West, Don Huffines, and Chad Prather address Houston Methodist Hospital employees’ fight.
By
Robert Montoya
|
June 17, 2021
Rivals of Gov. Greg Abbott have spoken out on the situation in a Houston hospital where employees are resisting their employers’ vaccine mandate. The employees’ attorney has called for Abbott to have the Texas Legislature address employer vaccination mandates in a special session.
Despite Abbott announcing a vaccine passport ban in Texas, Houston Methodist Hospital has mandated that all employees receive full COVID-19 vaccinations or be fired. 178 employees haven’t, and they’ve been suspended with threat of termination on June 21 if they do not comply. A total of 117 employees have sued the hospital, with attorney Jared Woodfill representing them.
After a U.S. District Judge dismissed the lawsuit, Woodfill told Texas Scorecard Abbott should have the Texas Legislature take the issue up in a special session. It has been reported that Abbott has indicated he will call multiple special sessions this year.
Abbott’s office did not respond to an inquiry on this matter before publication time. Texas Scorecard sent inquiries to Don Huffines and Chad Prather, who are challenging Abbott in the Republican primary for governor, as well as outgoing Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West, who has said he is considering a gubernatorial run as well.
“Texas should not have coerced mandated vaccinations under condition of employment for an experimental, non-FDA approved vaccine that we are told doesn’t relieve us of mask wearing,” West stated. “This situation which threatens individual liberty and freedom must be addressed by the Texas Legislature.”
“I find it quite ironic that when it comes to murdering an unborn child in the womb the reasoning is ‘my body my choice’,” West continued. “However, when it comes to mandated vaccination, for a virus with a 99.96% recovery rate, under threat of unemployment and ostracism the individual American citizen loses their right to decide for their body.”
“I find it rather unconscionable that we have mandatory vaccinations in the Lone Star State, something we would expect from a tyrannical progressive socialist leftist state.”
“The same day that Governor Abbott flaunted a so-called ‘vaccine passport ban’ in Texas, employees at Methodist Hospital lost their jobs for refusing to be vaccinated,” Huffines replied. “We must protect all employees in Texas from being discriminated against based on their vaccine status. The ‘ban’ passed by Abbott does nothing to protect workers from being forced by their employers to get the vaccine.”
“Employers that force their employees to disobey their constitutional rights are little tyrants,” Prather added. “Those in higher office that support such decisions are proving themselves to be big tyrants. It’s seems that power at the highest level serves to corrupt at every level. These things cannot be.”
This isn’t the only issue to have come up regarding vaccine requirements in Texas.
Cruise ship company Carnival announced last week they will require passengers to provide proof of COVID vaccination when they resume cruises from Galveston in July.
“We are evaluating the legislation recently signed into law in Texas regarding vaccine information,” they told Texas Scorecard on June 7. “The law provides exceptions for when a business is implementing COVID protocols in accordance with federal law which is consistent with our plans to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s guidelines.”
An inquiry to Abbott’s office on this matter was viewed a total of 34 times but garnered no response.
Texans for Vaccine Choice has started a petition asking Abbott to call a special session on this issue. “Texans for Vaccine Choice is proud of the accomplishments of the legislature and governor to protect and advance informed consent, medical privacy, and vaccine choice this session,” they state. “However, there is still work to be done. All Texans have a right to live and work as they please. Employee vaccine mandates are a direct threat to these rights.”
Concerned citizens may contact Gov. Abbott, their state senator, and state representative.
.
https://texasscorecard.com/state/rivals-challenge-abbott-on-employer-vaccination-mandate/