The media was in an uproar Tuesday after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott , R., issued an executive order banning « any entity » in the state from enforcing …
The media was in an uproar Tuesday after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R., issued an executive order banning « any entity » in the state from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. « The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced, » Abbott said in a press release Monday. The executive order prohibits any entity in the state from compelling an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine « who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience. » The bill, he said, would supersede any conflicting order by local jurisdictions. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R., has issued similar orders in recent weeks, including a ban on mask mandates in schools. Left-leaning press questioned Abbott’s move, calling it unsafe and potentially illegal. « Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order on vaccine mandates is beyond unhinged, » a Los Angeles Times’ headline read. In his piece, Michael Hiltzik argued the vaccine has turned Abbott « batty. » « Abbott’s order is manifestly political, a sop to the far-right-wing Republican base in his state, » Hiltzik wrote. « But its impact can’t be minimized.
