Posted on 06/08/2021 10:17:44 AM PDT by RandFan
Yesterday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican bracing for a difficult campaign season with strong primary challengers, claimed to sign a bill that would ban private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination – commonly referred to as vaccine passports – from customers. The bill not only fails to live up to Florida’s law in terms of what entities are prohibited from requiring the vaccine passports, but also fails to impose any meaningful penalty to businesses that refuse to comply with the law.
At the beginning of the subsection dealing with the supposed ban of vaccine passports, the law seems to codify Abbott’s previous executive order preventing the Texas government from requiring COVID-19 passports, and then appears to extend the same prohibition to businesses. However, a close reading of the bill reveals that the only penalty for a business requiring vaccine passports is that it will not be eligible for state grants or to contract with the state.
“A business in this state may not require a customer to provide any documentation certifying the customer’s COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery,” the language in the bill begins, only to continue, “A business that fails to comply with this subsection is not eligible to receive a grant or enter into a contract payable with state funds.” Texas pundits assert that very few Texas businesses fall into this category, and thus the overwhelming majority of Texas employers will be permitted to require vaccine passports with little to no negative repercussions.
This sharply contrasts to the vaccine passport ban signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, which poses severe financial penalties of $5,000 per infraction against any business, school, or government agency that attempts to require individuals to provide proof of vaccination
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalfile.com ...
Without judging this particular case, why attack a guy, who, on the whole, has been a solid conservative governor?
But any law Democrats pass applies to everyone.
See how that works?
As Carnival requires vaccines for cruisers, (TX Gov) Abbott to sign ban on ‘vaccine passports’
Houston Chronicle ^ | June 7, 2021 | Cayla Harris , Austin Bureau
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3965841/posts
...The cruise line is based in Florida, where GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has similarly barred businesses from mandating that consumers certify their vaccine status.
It is unclear how the cruise industry will be impacted by the state laws, as the businesses operate across multiple states and in international waters. The issue may be settled in court.
“We are evaluating the legislation recently signed into law in Texas regarding vaccine information,” Vance Gulliksen, a Carnival spokesperson, said in an email. “The law provides exceptions for when a business is implementing COVID protocols in accordance with federal law, which is consistent with our plans to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s guidelines.”
SB 968 explicitly outlaws “vaccine passports,” but it does not stop businesses from “implementing COVID-19 screening and infection control protocols in accordance with state and federal law to protect public health,” the bill states.
A spokesman for state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, who authored the bill, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
SB No. 968.
There’s a link to the 19 page bill in the article.
The passport ban is near the end. Looks okay to me.
Lots of other interesting stuff in the bill.
Folks should read it.
Companies can require vaccination, if the employee refuses? He can tell them bye bye.
I know many people who will not take the “so called” vaccine.
Texan (real ones) just want to be left alone. And they get cranky when someone tries to tell them what to do with their own life.
No politician can escape that.
Is that a different bill from the one linked to in the article?
Not from Texas but there has been criticism in that he has allegedly allowed the pervert agenda in the state.
In fact, his primary challenger is actually citing that as one of the problems with him.
And now this...
Abbott has a large % of Bush Political DNA.
He needs to be primaried out.
Hopefully Abbott will copy DeSantis in every respect.
ERCOT
For one, he can’t impose things on private companies without lawsuits up the whazoo.
Second, I don’t think he’s quite the Conservative All Star that many make him out to be or want him to be. He’s like Perry, who, IMHO, is/was a complete fraud.
Abbott will never be forgiven for allowing mask mandates and shutting down the Texas economy. Whatever he does now, will not erase when he did not stand up against the fake pandemic mob.
It is time for new blood. I voted Abbot into office every time he ran, but his agenda is to run for president. If he wins the primary, I will have to vote him in again. I would like to see Allen West run.
looking at the bill, it seems like this article went a little far. But you decide for yourself, look closely at subsection D. It looks like business will lose their license & permits if they require vaccine certifications.
I will post a very brief excerpt:
(c) A business in this state may not require a customer to
provide any documentation certifying the customer ’s COVID-19
vaccination or post-transmission recovery on entry to, to gain
access to, or to receive service from the business. A business that
fails to comply with this subsection is not eligible to receive a
grant or enter into a contract payable with state funds.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law, each appropriate state
agency shall ensure that businesses in this state comply with
Subsection (c) and may require compliance with that subsection as a
condition for a license, permit, or other state authorization
necessary for conducting business in this state.
oh. scratch that, it says “may require”. Hm.
Will you forgive DeSantis when he runs for president?
The governor of a state lacks the power to mandate how a business operates. That’s a good thing. He can rule that the state can refuse to do business with with those who engage in certain behavior. That’s what Abbot did.
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