Tennessee Governor Signs Law Restricting COVID-19 Mandates.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) signed legislation Friday that limits the power of state schools, agencies, and businesses to enforce COVID-19 restrictions.
The law, which was approved by the state legislature in a special session last month, will take effect immediately and is likely to face legal challenges.
The law restricts private companies that require proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Additionally, it only allows schools and government entities if there are at least 1,000 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents within a 14-day period.
The news comes after several states have mounted challenges to President BidenJoe BidenBiden and Xi of China to hold virtual summit on Monday: Briahna Joy Gray reports: Biden ‘plays dumb’ with the cancellation of student debt Defense and national security – Biden celebrates Veterans Day MOREvaccination mandate, which requires companies of 100 or more employees to require frequent vaccinations or testing.
A federal appeals court issued a temporary stay of the mandate last weekend after a challenge from states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah.
Lee said he was concerned that the bill would not include a provision allowing family members indefinite visits with loved ones in hospitals fighting COVID-19, according to the outlet. He said he intended to meet with lawmakers earlier in the week about the concern.
However, health officials and medical workers have voiced their opposition to a provision like this: They say it would counter mitigation methods.
Lee noted that the rule would only apply to patients at the end of life.
Democrats and business groups across the state have spoken out against the bill in full force this week. Most members of the Nashville Metropolitan Council asked Mayor John Cooper (D) last week to consider all avenues, including legal methods, to “clarify the authority of the city,” given that the law would remove the authority of Nashville to maintain its existing mask mandate.
The law follows Lee’s legal battles in recent months over an executive order allowing parents to opt-out of school mask mandates.