On August 9, Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation mandating that most state executive branch employees and on-site contractors and volunteers, along with public and private health care and long-term care workers, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18.
Exemptions from the vaccine requirement are allowed for those individuals who are entitled to a disability-related reasonable accommodation or a sincerely held religious belief accommodation.
Our next legislative session is not scheduled to begin until January. That is too LATE! The legislature has the power to go into a special session to address this issue immediately. Legislators can call themselves into a special session with a two-thirds vote of the two bodies. Our current makeup is
House of Representatives: 98 seats (2 for each district); 66 votes needed
Majority Democratic – 57 seats
Minority Republican – 41 seats
Senate: 49 seats (1 for each district); 33 votes needed
Majority Caucus Democratic – 28 seats
Minority Caucus Republican – 20 seats;
(1 Democrat caucuses with Republicans)
The decision to decline a vaccination must remain a private, individual choice. We are free citizens of this country and state, we must maintain the ability to retain employment without discrimination. Requiring proof of vaccination would take away individual freedoms. We need you to help protect these fundamental rights.
Washingtonians deserve medical freedom and bodily autonomy. The legislature must call a special session to address this discriminatory proclamation. Please help state employees you represent by calling for a special session and opposing the Governor’s proclamation.