Legislative committee supports ‘conscience exemption' vaccine bill
A Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Courtesy of Executive Office of the Maryland Governor)
A legislative committee endorsed a bill Thursday at the state Capitol in Pierre that would allow South Dakotans to sue their employer, church or even family or neighbor if they're barred entrance to a building, lose their job or are demoted because they refuse vaccinations during a public health emergency.
House Bill 1223, introduced by Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Bobbi Andera, would not apply 'conscience exemptions' to required school immunizations or health care facilities, or to the South Dakota National Guard if the vaccination is required for federal activation.
Andera was motivated by restrictions enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic tied to a person's vaccination status.
'I am supporting this bill because I support the people of South Dakota and science,' Andera said. 'Science is not quick. It never has and it never will be.'
GOP members of U.S. Senate probe RFK Jr. on his history of vaccine denial
The other supporter of the bill to testify was a representative with South Dakota Citizens for Liberty, a conservative political advocacy group. The legislation faced a wave of opposition from business and medical organizations.
Justin Smith, a lobbyist representing the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, told lawmakers the bill attacks South Dakota's 'employment at will' laws, because it would prioritize an employee's 'inner conviction' over business owners' rights to protect themselves, customers, employees and private property.
Smith said the bill could empower employees to sue over something as mundane as being put on a different shift or being moved to a different building, which he said could constitute a 'loss of employment status' under the language in the bill.
The bill also allows people who sue to collect three times their actual damages and attorney fees from the defendant if a court rules in the plaintiff's favor. The suing party would not be responsible for the defendant's attorney fees if they lose.
'Heads I win, tails you lose,' Smith said.
Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt — a nurse anesthetist — was the most vocal critic of the bill. She said it gave her 'angst' from both a business and public health perspective because a person could walk into another person's home despite that homeowner's personal health or wishes.
Passage of the bill would result in 'extreme ramifications damaging as a whole to public health,' Rehfeldt said.
'Where does somebody's personal freedom get to override somebody else's right to personal freedom?' Rehfeldt said.
Clear Lake Republican Dylan Jordan said he stands for the 'freedom of everyday workers' in his support.
'You shouldn't be forced by your employer to get any shot you don't want,' Jordan said.
The bill passed 7-6 out of the House Health and Human Services Committee. It'll head to the House of Representatives next.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Used 'Disinformation' to Defend Change to Vaccine Schedule, Expert Says: Reports
The Department of Health and Human Services sent Congress a document that cited disputed studies and misrepresented other findings, according to NPR and KFF Health News The document was written in support of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to change federal COVID vaccine recommendations for healthy kids and pregnant women 'This is RFK Jr.'s playbook,' said Sean O'Leary, chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of PediatricsThe Department of Health and Human Services sent Congress a document to support Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to change federal vaccine recommendations that cited unpublished or disputed studies and misrepresented other findings, according to NPR and KFF Health News. In late May, Kennedy, who has a history of vaccine skepticism, announced on X that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed the COVID vaccine from the recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, while touting President Trump's Make America Healthy Again agenda. "It is so far out of left field that I find it insulting to our members of Congress that they would actually give them something like this. Congress members are relying on these agencies to provide them with valid information, and it's just not there," Dr. Mark Turrentine, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine, told KFF Health News, the outlet that obtained the FAQ document. The outlet also reported that the document suggests a link between heart conditions like myocarditis or pericarditis and the COVID vaccine, but updated research suggests that connection has decreased with newer vaccine procedures. The document also left out multiple other peer-reviewed studies that show the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis is greater after getting sick with COVID for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated people than the risk of the same complications after vaccination alone, per KFF Health News. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "There is no distortion of the studies in this document. The underlying data speaks for itself, and it raises legitimate safety concerns. HHS will not ignore that evidence or downplay it. We will follow the data and the science," a HHS spokesperson told KFF Health News. 'This is RFK Jr.'s playbook,' Sean O'Leary, chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told KFF Health News. 'Either cherry-pick from good science or take junk science to support his premise — this has been his playbook for 20 years.' Read the original article on People
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
From Dunnville to Niagara: Innovation, personalized care key to Hauser's Pharmacy longevity
While it's not quite accurate to say Phil Hauser comes from a long line of pharmacists — unless you call second generation a long line — the profession is in his blood. 'I took my first steps in the back room of the pharmacy,' he said. That would be Hauser's Pharmacy. The Dunnville business was opened by his father Jim, who with his mother Bonnie took over a long-running pharmacy in 1980. Over the next 45 years, it has remained a fixture in that town. It gradually spread across southern Ontario — its first offshoot was in St. Catharines in 2014 when Hauser's opened in the new hospital. Last year, Hauser's opened its second location in the region, in the former CIBC building on Queen Street in Niagara Falls, a site it shares with a physician clinic. All the while, the pharmacy has maintained its independence and commitment to personalized care. 'We recognize every patient wants something different from their health-care provider,' said Hauser, who took over the family business in 2007 following his graduation from pharmacy school. 'Some people simply want their prescription filled fast and effectively, and we do that. Some people want more. Some people have a lot of questions about their conditions, some people want to question a lot of the information that they find online, and some people need that personal connection before discussing things that are otherwise very personal.' Hauser's Pharmacy current owner Phil Hauser in front of the prescription counter at the Dunnville store in 2021. At the time, Hauser's was preparing to administer COVID-19 vaccines. About the same time he took over the business, Hauser was elected to Ontario Pharmacists Association, for which he served six years. Among other things during that time, he advocated for an increased role of pharmacists in patient health care. Hauser's was one of 32 pharmacies involved in a pilot program in Ontario offering flu shots — something that has since been rolled out across the province. But the advocacy and innovation has been a constant thread in the family business, Hauser said. In the early 1980s, his mom called on the Health Ministry to have tobacco products removed from pharmacy shelves. 'Even though it was a significant source of income for pharmacies, it flew in the face of being a health-care provider, and providing something that we knew was poisonous or a detriment to people's health in the same breath,' Hauser said. Bonnie and Jim Hauser at a computer terminal in their Dunnville pharmacy. In the early 1980s, Hauser's Pharmacy was one of the first in Ontario to incorporate computerized patient prescription records. Also in the 1980s, Hauser's was also one of the first pharmacies to incorporate computer records to track patient prescriptions . 'It's something we take for granted today, but back then you were flipping through people's prescriptions and just making sure the refills were still valid,' he said. 'There wasn't the same level of continuous care that we're used to.' Hauser's launching a mobility and home health care division in 2014, Supper Services, its in-home private care division in 2021 and a remote dispensary operation for an underserved community in the Muskoka region in 2022. Hauser said this history of innovation and ability to provide a continuum of care for patients is what made the business an attractive choice for pharmacy partner with the now-named Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines. 'They recognized that our mission, our philosophy of bringing better patient care, was a key tenant that the NHS wanted to do, which was to guide the continuity of care for patients that were leaving outpatient clinics or were leaving the hospital altogether, and then making sure they had the proper transition into community care,' he said. This year, the pharmacy is marking its 45th anniversary at all nine of its stores with monthly giveaways, sales o throughout the year, children's colouring contests and rolling discounts. See its website, , to sign up to receive information or follow Hauser's on its social media channels. Hauser said their ability to remain independent lies in them striving to provide continual value for their patients. 'We want to provide the best level of health care,' he said. 'And I think that's not always something that's evident until you experience it. And when you experience it … my hope is when you come into a Hauser's Pharmacy and you notice a difference in the quality of care that that means something to you.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Congressman curses fellow lawmaker on House floor
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – New York Democratic Congressman John Mannion cursed out Republican Congressman Mike Lawler on the House floor, Thursday. Video caught the congressman shouting as the rest of the House floor fell silent 'I said it loud enough for him to hear. I did, and he turned to me and then you see the exchange that occurred,' said Mannion. The congressman's outburst came shortly after California Senator Alex Padilla was forced out of a news conference in Los Angeles and handcuffed. Mannion defended his actions saying Republicans, like Lawler, are letting the president and the administration walk over the Constitution. 'He's not standing up to the president. He is ceding his authority, along with the other Republicans, to the president, as is the speaker of the House,' said Mannion. Todd Belt with George Washington University says the country is reaching a boiling point as these aren't the usual things lawmakers would say to each other. 'Tempers are really flaring up over what's going on with these Ice raids, and how members of Congress are being arrested and thrown to the ground and handcuffed,' said Belt. Belt says this could be the start of more to come on the House or Senate floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
