Mississippi will likely sue Biden administration over vaccine mandate, Reeves says
Mississippi will likely file a lawsuit against the Biden administration by the end of the week in an attempt to block the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Gov. Tate Reeves said on Facebook Tuesday.
Reeves, a vocal opponent of the mandate requiring employees of federal contractors be vaccinated against coronavirus by Dec. 8, said he’s working with the state’ Attorney General’s off to fight threats to “Mississippian’s individual liberties.”
That announcement was part of what looks to be the first high-profile discussion of legal action against vaccine mandates in Mississippi, despite updated guidance from the Biden administration on Monday which gives these contractors freedom to enforce the requirements as they see fit.
Reeves noted in his social media post that he supports the vaccine, which health officials have repeatedly said is the best, strongest, and safest shield against COVID.
“I’ve instructed every branch of government that I control to work in support of this suit and this cause. We are also standing alongside workers — pushing back against this overreach. And it is slowly working,” Reeves wrote in the post.
“I am a strong supporter of the COVID vaccines and commend the Trump administration’s efforts to develop it. I even got it on Facebook Live to demonstrate my confidence.”
The Biden administration said Monday that federal contractors could determine “appropriate means of enforcement” after three separate lawsuits filed by 18 states challenged the requirement.
“The Biden administration yesterday quietly affirmed what Mississippians have known to be true throughout the process: Our laws guarantee you religious freedom, and the federal government cannot force or threaten you to make a decision that may jeopardize your personal health,” Reeves said in the post.
“While we fight the federal mandates in the courts, the new guidance opens the door for Mississippi workers to keep their jobs if you have a sincerely held conviction.”
A fast-growing group of employees from Ingalls, one of the nation’s largest Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilders that’s based in Pascagoula, have been working to fight vaccine requirements on the Coast.
Since early October, they’ve planned rallies, shared stories and interacted with local elected officials on a popular Facebook page called Gulf Coast Against Mandates, which includes over 12,800 members.
Republican lawmakers on the Coast have long struggled with their positions on the constitutionality of the federal mandate and the issue’s prioritization of personal freedom over business.
“I don’t support the mandate from the Biden administration, but that said, you know we have to keep in mind that these are employees that are working on federally contracted jobs and so that is where I think the issue becomes a little more tricky,” Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, said.
