State should pass COVID-19 mandate law
California should jump at the opportunity to pass a model, statewide COVID-19 mandate law. The legislation, which could take effect immediately after being signed into law, would save lives and eliminate confusion created by cities and counties passing individual vaccine mandates.
It’s imperative to stop the needless spread of a virus that has infected more than 4 million Californians and killed more than 60,000. A statewide mandate would stand in sharp contrast to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order on Wednesday banning any state or local mandates requiring people to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, is among Democratic lawmakers who are reportedly considering whether to introduce legislation that would require employees throughout the state to get vaccinated or submit to regular testing. The proposal would also create a vaccine mandate for people wanting to go into bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters and other places. Exemptions would be granted for those who are too young to be vaccinated and for people with medical issues that prevent them from getting vaccines.
Supporters are nervous about the impact a mandate law would have on voters deciding whether Gov. Gavin Newsom should keep his job. They are reportedly debating whether to introduce a bill during the current legislative session or wait until January. Lawmakers face a Sept. 10 deadline for finishing their session, four days before Newsom’s recall election.
A statewide mandate is clearly the right thing to do. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the coronavirus is constantly mutating and won’t be going away anytime soon. And for those worried about the recall election, a recent CBS poll revealed that nearly 70% of Californians favor a mandate for employees at businesses throughout the state.
California already has a vaccine or negative COVID-19 test requirement on the books for large indoor events such as concerts and sports with more than 1,000 attendees. That law will take effect beginning Sept. 20. The state has also mandated that people in certain professions, such as health care workers, be vaccinated.
California and other states have tried giving unvaccinated people a variety of incentives to line up for their jab. Cash offers and gift cards only go so far as a means of persuasion. A statewide mandate would provide the best incentive available for California’s holdouts to get vaccinated. Only about half of Californians have been fully vaccinated, and nearly 70% have elected to have only one shot.
Sadly, the legislation would require lawmakers to use the potentially odious gut-andamend tactic, in which they would strip the language from an unrelated bill and replace it with the new, mandate language. It would have been far better for the Legislature to initiate a potential mandate law early enough to allow it to go through the normal process so it could be fully vetted. Lawmakers will need to go the extra mile to make the debate on the issue as transparent as possible.
But it’s crucial that California take every means possible to slow the spread of the pandemic and model the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations for all adults.