Note to so-called Republican governors like Chris Sununu. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, just signed a bipartisan bill that protects its citizens from private vaccine mandates by companies that deliberately ignore exemption requests from their employees.
If any employee is fired or faces other punishments due to their exemption, they will be able to make a complaint with the Secretary of Labor. If the employer is found guilty of violating the legislation, they could face a fine of up to $10,000 per violation if their business employees under 100 people, and up to $50,000 if they employee over 100 people. Any fired employee should also be reinstated, with back pay.
The bill also gives protections to anyone who has been fired over refusing a vaccine mandate, granting them access to unemployment benefits if they would otherwise qualify, along with including a provision that would allow them to refuse further employment at a new business that would not respect their exemption.
In the Governors signing statement, she notes that,
“I have been clear that I believe it is too late to impose a federal standard. States have been leading the fight against COVID-19 for nearly two years. I know there are Kansans who believe this legislation goes too far, and there are others who believe this legislation doesn’t go far enough. But I was elected to lead, and leadership means seeking compromise.
“This bill is the result of compromise in action. Now that it is signed, we need to turn our attention towards pressing issues like growing our economy and passing my plan to Axe the Food Tax, so we can put money back into everyday Kansans’ pockets.”
Does anyone know where we can find a Governor who understands the injustice of allowing a business to discriminate against employees who have any objection to forced vaccination, especially when the thing it is meant to protect them from is really no threat at all?
