Dear Neighbor,

With the governor announcing he will require all state and school employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall, my office has received many emails and phone calls regarding this issue. To keep you updated, I wanted to share some information on these mandates, how he is allowed to do this and why I adamantly oppose his directives.

Let’s start with schools. What exactly is the governor mandating?

• Mask Mandate: Governor Inslee issued a statewide mask mandate requiring face coverings of all students and staff regardless of vaccination status and local COVID statistics
• Vaccine Mandate: At the urging of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, Governor Inslee to implement a COVID vaccine mandate for all school employees. Some medical and religious exemptions will apply.

These orders apply to charter, public and private schools as well as higher educational institutes. Only tribal schools are exempt. Parents, teachers and school board members have no say in the implementation of these policies. All educational faculty and staff members must be fully vaccinated by October 18. If they are not, it could cost them their job.

What about State Employees and Healthcare Workers?

Earlier this month, Governor Inslee issued a proclamation requiring all State Employees and Healthcare Workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October. Here’s what that means:

• No later than October 18, 2021, all individuals performing work for a state agency or performing work in healthcare or long-term care settings must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 unless they are entitled to an exemption for medical or religious reasons.  
• Employees in these sectors who do not show proof of vaccination by the deadline may be subject to termination of their employment.  
• Unlike the Oregon and California mandates, Washington’s mandate does not provide weekly testing as an alternative to vaccination.

These mandates limit our freedoms; we will see people all across our state walk away from jobs and volunteer positions as a result. I firmly believe that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal decision and one that each individual, parent and guardian should make for themselves and their loved ones. The government – and this governor – must stop telling the citizens of Washington state what to put in their bodies. We have seen other states – Oregon and California – provide alternatives to mandatory vaccinations. Why can’t we do the same here in Washington state? It is passed time for our governor’s emergency powers to come to an end and for balance to be restored in Olympia. To learn more about this, I invite you to watch my video below.

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Emergency Powers

I recently shared a video on the governor’s emergency powers and why he is granted broad authority during this pandemic. It is a complex issue and I encourage you to check it out to learn more.

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Stay connected

Please remember that I am still here to serve you. I encourage you to reach out to my office and to share your thoughts, ideas and concerns on matters of importance to you. I can be reached by email at Perry.Dozier@leg.wa.gov and by phone at (360) 786-7630.

Cordially,

Perry Dozier

State Senator

16th LD