Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed a bill that prohibits state and local governments from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for workers. This comes after a similar ban expired last month.
The legislation signed on Thursday aims to protect citizens’ “individual liberty,” according to Sanders, who made the announcement at a press conference before signing the bill.
The new legislation not only prohibits COVID-19 vaccinations from being mandatory for education, services, or certain certifications but also requires the state to record and publish any potential risks and harms associated with the shots.
This new bill differs from the state’s previous ban on vaccine mandates, which was implemented in 2021. It now covers vaccines or immunizations for any subvariants of the coronavirus, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The latest COVID-19 vaccine, authorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, is specifically designed to reduce illness from omicron variants currently in circulation.
On Thursday, Sanders signed a total of 11 bills. One of the bills restricts the public release of her travel and security records.
That bill takes immediate effect and shields details about the governor’s security, including travel on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips.
Sanders argued that this measure is necessary for her and her family’s safety, although critics argue that it undermines government transparency.
State Sen. Bart Hester (R), co-sponsor of the bill, assured at the press conference that elected government leaders still have access to travel receipts through audits. The law also mandates the state to file a quarterly report on the costs of protecting the governor.
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