Oklahoma lawmaker puts bill to ban vaccine mandates on hold after scrutiny from fellow Republicans

Senate Bill 1128 by Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, would prohibit a person or company from mandating any vaccination, injection, shot or medication for a virus or disease as a condition of continued employment.

The bill is dubbed the “Employee Liberty and Freedom Act.”

But following intense questioning from Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, in the Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee, Stephens agreed to lay over the bill.

Stephens said questions have come up at gatherings and meetings across the state from residents who are worried that their jobs may be in jeopardy because they refuse to be vaccinated.

He said the measure was intended to stop overreach. He said he introduced the bill from a conviction in his heart and to protect people.

Garvin noted that some injections have been required for decades, such as tests for tuberculosis, which require an injection. She asked: If health care workers were no longer required to be tested for TB, who would be held responsible if it spread?

Stephens said he was not sure.

Garvin said that if the measure passed, it would potentially shut down hospitals, nursing homes and clinics that are required by federal standards to have employees vaccinated or tested.

Paxton said the state could lose billions in federal dollars if the bill passed. He asked Stephens to consider the ramifications of his bill, such as the closure of rural hospitals.

Stephens said he didn’t know everything about the subject. He said it was a tough time to be a lawmaker and attempt to try to solve the world’s problems.

Paxton asked Stephens what part of the budget he was willing to use to backfill the billions of federal dollars lost should the measure pass.

He also asked Stephens whether he was willing to take the money from other agencies or raise taxes to pay for it.

“I know you are very fond of public education, and that is the biggest pot of money the state has that goes out in expenditures,” Paxton said. “Would you be willing to cut public education to keep hospitals open due to the ramifications of your bill?” Paxton asked.

Paxton said that given Stephens’ answers, it sounded like there were a lot of unknowns about the ramifications of the bill.

Paxton asked Stephens to lay over the bill so those questions could be answered.