Republicans on the New Hampshire House Education Committee passed an amendment to HB255 barring any entity, including private businesses, from requiring COVID-19 vaccines. NH Journal reports leadership described the vote as a message to the Biden administration rather than enforceable policy.
After months of vocal opposition to government-imposed vaccine mandates on private businesses, Republicans on the state House Education Committee passed one of their own. They approved an amendment banning any “entity” — including private businesses — from requiring COVID-19 vaccines.
NH Journal
House Speaker Sherman Packard cast the action as a stand for medical freedom and a rebuke of federal mandates, in comments reported by NH Journal.
The Education Committee passed HB255 in the name of medical freedom,” said House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry). “Employers are struggling to fill vacancies, gas and food prices are rising, and chaos reigns at the border – the president has shown his ineptitude to lead. He has instead chosen to rule by mandates. That is not the New Hampshire way – and today’s small victory proved that.
NH Journal
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne praised the committee and looked ahead to a floor vote.
I applaud the members of the Education Committee who took this amendment up today and did the right thing for New Hampshire,
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne
Leadership was candid about the purpose of the vote, NH Journal notes.
House GOP leadership acknowledged Tuesday’s vote was to send a message, not set policy.
NH Journal
The article also explains how federal action could override the state measure if it survives the courts.
If the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate goes into effect — it’s currently being challenged in court — it will supersede New Hampshire law.
NH Journal
Critics and Gov. Chris Sununu raised objections rooted in private-business autonomy, according to NH Journal.
Critics noted the irony of calling a measure that forbids private business owners from setting their own vaccine policy a “medical freedom” bill.
NH Journal
The amendment’s reach into private employment was the focus of much of the debate, with leadership and the governor framing the question of private-business policy in different terms.
Osborne said he expected the full House to take up the bill when it returned to the floor, NH Journal reports. The committee action set the stage for that later debate, which came against the backdrop of a broader fight between state Republicans and the federal government over vaccine policy.
The vote registered the committee’s position even as both sides acknowledged the practical limits of state action on the issue.
The amendment’s reach into private employment was the focus of much of the committee debate.
Leadership and the governor framed the question of private-business policy in different terms.
Osborne said he expected the full House to take up the bill once it returned to the floor.
The committee action came amid a broader fight over the federal vaccine mandate.
Republicans cast the vote as registering their position even as they acknowledged its practical limits.
The governor’s office reiterated its opposition to government either mandating or prohibiting vaccines on private businesses.
The measure was set to return for a floor debate when the House next met, NH Journal reports.
Read the full story at NH Journal.
