OPINION

Inslee doubling down on getting people vaccinated

 

September 2, 2021



In my E-Commentary last week, I mentioned that Governor Inslee had ordered all state employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October or lose their jobs.

Now, teachers and other school employees face the same threat.

After Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal asked him last week to also require that school employees get vaccinated, Inslee announced Wednesday that all teachers and other employees in public, private or charter schools must be fully vaccinated by mid-October. This includes substitute teachers, coaches, bus drivers, school volunteers and others working in school facilities. Students aren’t required to be vaccinated, but they must wear masks.

You can read more about the governor’s vaccine order for teachers and school employees by visiting https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-educator-vaccination-requirement-and-statewide-indoor-mask-mandate.

In addition, employees in most child-care and early-learning centers, and higher education must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the Oct. 18 deadline.

Under the governor’s vaccine mandate proclamation last week, anyone providing health-care services or who are licensed health care providers (including EMTs and volunteer firefighters) are covered in the vaccination mandate related to health-care workers

It’s clear that the governor is doubling down on his demands to get more people vaccinated – or else. He’s taken his dictatorial approach to new extremes. It’s really concerning that Inslee is the only U.S. governor who is willing to put people out of a job if they refuse to inject a substance into their body, even if they object to it. Unlike other governors, Inslee isn’t allowing alternatives to taking the vaccine, including regular testing for COVID-19.

The governor’s other announcement on Wednesday was that he’s reimposing an indoor mask mandate for all residents age 5 and above, regardless of vaccination status. The mask mandate goes into effect on Monday (August 23).

Since the governor’s announcement Wednesday afternoon, my office has received more than 2,500 emails from people in our district and around the state who oppose the Inslee mandates. If you are unhappy with Inslee’s latest dictates and you want to let him know what you think, you should call, email or write the governor’s office.

In the past two weeks I’ve participated in two well-attended rallies organized by people who oppose the masking and vaccine mandates. The folks who took part were polite and respectful and made it clear they care deeply about their kids and teachers. Also, I know a letter sent to the governor by superintendents from 40 school districts in our state has been ignored.

My thought is that it will take a lawsuit or a special legislative session to put a stop to the latest mandates. A Senate resolution calling for a special session has been drafted, and we are gathering legislator signatures for it. We will need the majority party’s cooperation to see it through, so we must hope for the best.

-Schoesler represents the 9th Legislative District, which spans part or all of Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Spokane and Whitman counties.

 
 

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