Gov. Parson issues executive order against federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Parson joins Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt against the federal vaccine mandate.

Gov. Parson issued an executive order against the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates. 

Governor Parson released a statement regarding the order:

As the Governor of the State of Missouri, I stand with concerned Missourians and will do all I can to stop federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

When President Biden announced his initial plans to force unconstitutional vaccine mandates, we immediately began aligning state resources for legal action. While we hoped the Biden Administration would recognize these mandates as the abuse of authority that they are, they have not, and we must now use every tool we have available to fight this federal intrusion.

Let me be clear, we continue to encourage all Missourians to get vaccinated. We can support vaccination without supporting mandates. We are issuing this order to protect our system of government and the individual rights of Missourians to make their own health care decisions.

Gov. Parson

Attorney General Schmitt released the following statement Wednesday on the mandates:

My Office has been a national leader in pushing back on federal overreach and mask mandates, stopping power hungry bureaucrats in their tracks. The Biden Administration is seeking to use the full weight of the federal government to force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations. This is blatant, frightening federal overreach. My Office will file a lawsuit to halt this mandate on federal contractors by the end of the week, and stand ready, willing, and able to file suit against the employer vaccine mandate when OSHA publishes their forthcoming rule.

Attorney General Schmitt

The governor's executive order directs the following actions to oppose the Biden Administration's federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates:

• All agencies, boards, commissions, and other entities within the executive branch of state government are directed to cooperate fully and timely with the Attorney General of the State of Missouri in litigation on behalf of the State of Missouri against any federally imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate or requirement.
• No agency, board, commission, or other entity within the executive branch of state government shall compel any individual to receive the COVID-19 vaccine according to federal vaccine mandates if the individual objects for religious or medical reasons.
• No agency, board, commission, or other entity within the executive branch of state government shall penalize individuals or businesses for non-compliance with federally imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates if the individual objects for religious or medical reasons.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade released the following statement on Gov. Parson's executive order:

The governor’s executive order appears carefully crafted to do absolutely nothing – except promote the attorney general’s latest frivolous lawsuit at taxpayer expense. If these two put as much energy into fighting the pandemic as they do into fighting those fighting the pandemic, Missouri would be in a much stronger position.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade

To view the executive order, click here.