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A group of Hoosiers rallied outside the empty House chamber after lawmakers canceled plans for a one-day session to pass a bill that effectively bans employers from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Brandon Smith/IPB NewsSeveral dozen Hoosiers rallied at the Statehouse Monday – a day lawmakers were supposed to come in for a special session on COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Republicans announced plans last week to suspend all rules and pass, in a single day, a bill that would effectively ban private companies from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
But they got significant pushback from the state’s top business and health care organizations. And so they canceled their plans, pledging to revisit the issue when they return for their regular session, in January.
For people like Hoosiers For Medical Liberty founder Ashley Grogg, that’s not soon enough.
"If the people are losing their jobs and willing to do that, who’s going to work at those businesses?" Grogg said. "We’re already in an employment crisis, right?"
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Grogg said her group will continue to put pressure on lawmakers to act.
“Their job is to listen to what their constituents are saying and act upon that," Grogg said. "Their responsibility is not to the business.”
Grogg is a health care worker, like many of the people who showed up last week to testify in favor of the legislation. They likely wouldn’t be helped by any bill the state passes, since it would be overruled by federal policy.
Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
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