Republicans in the West Virginia House of Delegates have a bad case of Covid Fever.
This ailment is not any of the Covid viruses that infected nearly one-half million West Virginians, sent hundreds to the hospital and killed, at last count, 6,381 of our citizens.
No, this contagion convinces the GOP delegates they must try to make laws that limit the ability of government, school systems, health professionals and private businesses from taking responsible steps to slow the spread of Covid.
Here are three key bills the House has approved and sent to the Senate just in the last few days, as reported by our Brad McElhinny:
—“HB 4012 would forbid government entities at the state or local level, higher education institutions or hospitals from requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination as a condition for entering.”
So, if the pandemic flared again and a hospital tried to limit visitation to the vaccinated, under this bill it would be breaking the law and could be subject to a lawsuit.
By the way, no one in support of the bill could produce any evidence that any of those institutions are now, or at any time during the pandemic, had such a visitation restriction.
—“HB 4071 would forbid mask or Covid-19 testing mandates in schools from here on out. Moreover, the school system could not force anyone to quarantine without a positive test.” And, you guessed it, school systems that violate the law could be sued.
The pandemic is winding down. Nearly every school system has eliminated its mask mandate already. In addition, why should the state issue a blanket prohibition for all 55 counties instead of allowing the locally-elected school board members, in consultation with health experts and parents, decide how best to keep children, teachers, and staff safe?
—HB 4320 dictates that “if employers have vaccine requirements, then evidence of natural immunity or anti-bodies would suffice.”
This remarkable piece of legislation does not detail what qualifies as “protective antibody levels,” or what happens if the employer and the employee disagree on what constitutes a sufficient level of protection.
Also, the federal government already has well-established workplace guidelines that cover myriad issues, including the right of the employer, with exceptions, to require vaccinations.
These bills have passed the House even as the pandemic wanes. They are unnecessary, as well as misguided. They infringe on private businesses, usurp local control and limit the ability of health experts and government leaders to make potentially life-saving decisions during a pandemic.
This Covid Fever ran hot in the House. Hopefully this contagion, which impacts an individual’s ability to think rationally, can be contained before it spreads to the Senate Republicans.