BOISE, Idaho — The debate surrounding medical employers' decision to require all employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine continues and many political figures have spoken out with their opinions on the decision.
Most recently, the Idaho House Democrats said they will support medical providers in their decision.
Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin told KTVB on Thursday that the decision goes too far and is essentially a "vaccine mandate." Other critics of the decision say they feel it is wrong to force people between keeping their job and getting a vaccine they do not want.
Democratic leaders understand the decision puts some employees in a difficult position, but the party overall supports medical providers in their goal of protecting patients and employees.
McGeachin recently called on the Idaho Legislature to reconvene in order to prevent private businesses to be able to mandate vaccines for employees. Idaho House Assistant Minority Leader Lauren Necochea (D-Boise) believes this was a political move.
"I think the call to reconvene in the legislature and to try to exploit COVID are really about scoring political points against each other," she said. "But [what] we saw yesterday was more of a campaign publicity stunt than a discussion of serious policy proposals."
Necochea said the people who believe something should be done to prevent private employers from threatening employees with their jobs are a "vocal minority" who have been given "a lot of misinformation."
She also acknowledged there are exemptions for people who have deeply-held religious beliefs or a medical condition that would make them vulnerable.
"I would really encourage people who have questions about the vaccine to talk to their doctor and get those questions answered," Necochea said. "It's natural to have questions. Talk to your doctor and get those questions answered so you can make the best choice. I know I was so grateful to be able to get the vaccine and this makes me feel so much safer, because this is a deadly virus with long-term health impacts even if you survive, and it's putting an enormous strain on our healthcare system."
Some Republicans have discussed the fear that vaccine requirements will go beyond the medical field and may impact businesses from construction companies to grocery stores. However, Necochea said this is not something that is currently being discussed.
"I think we can address that if it comes up. I think right now, employers are really hungry for workers, as we've seen, so workers are in a good space to negotiate the terms of their employment which is something that I always want. I always want workers to have those strong rights," she said. "So we can address that if that comes up, but I don't see any. I mean, I haven't seen any businesses trying to do that."
The Idaho State Senate Majority Caucus released the following statement on Friday regarding the vaccine requirements:
As Senate Republicans, we hold firm the belief that state government should not overregulate business, however, individual liberties must be protected to ensure Idahoans are able to work and provide for their families.
We call on business leaders, the Governor's office, and our colleagues in House leadership to join the Senate in a series of meetings to find solutions that will protect the employees, patients, and the viability of our healthcare systems in Idaho.
Business thrives when government involvement is limited, and it is our hope that this issue can be resolved before more regulation, as the result of legislation, needs to be considered.
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