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Mississippi House passes anti-vaccine mandate bill

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House passes anti-vaccine mandate bill

The Mississippi House unexpectedly took up and passed legislation Thursday that would prevent private companies from forcing their employees to get a vaccination over “sincerely held religious objections.”

The bill, authored by House Speaker Philip Gunn, is a response to a battle currently raging between those opposed to various COVID-19 vaccine mandates issued by . Some of those mandates have been upheld by the federal courts while others have not.

The bill passed 74-41 with all Democrats except Rep. Tom Miles of Forest no.

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Besides exempting employees of private businesses from the vaccine mandate, it also would prohibit state and local governmental entities from forcing a vaccine mandate on their employees and would prohibit those entities from withholding services from people who have chosen not to be vaccinated.

The bill also would apply to the National Guard. The U.S. Department of Defense has mandated a vaccine mandate for members of the National Guard. That issue currently is in the federal courts.

There was lengthy, at times terse, debate on the bill and House Public Health Chairman Sam Mims, R-McComb, had to field many questions.

“I don't see where this bill defines sincerely held religious beliefs,” said Rep. Shanda Yates, I-Jackson. “… Or who has the burden of proof, employees or employer? So we're opening up all our employers to lawsuits. Our pro-business, Republican-led supermajority is going after our private businesses.”

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“Would this apply to the Mississippi National Guard?” Rep. Ed Blackmon, D-Canton, asked, to which the answer was yes.

Rep. Thomas Reynolds, D-Charleston, said that George Washington in 1777 ordered Continental troops be vaccinated for smallpox that was raging through the country at the time. “There is a precedent for vaccination in our National Guard,” Reynolds said.

Mims said, “We are giving religious liberty to our public and private employees in Mississippi … It will be up to that employer to verify that employee's sincerity.”

Rep. Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, said, “Maybe I missed something. We are still in a pandemic, aren't we?”

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Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, after the vote said: “So, we've said that a business doesn't have to serve someone if they are LGBTQ, doesn't have to bake them a cake or anything if they don't want to. But with this we're telling them they have to serve or employ someone? I guess they just pick and choose who has liberty or rights.”

Hines was referring to a bill passed in 2016 that allowed entities not to services based on religious reasons.

It is not clear what the impact of the legislation will be. Most of the vaccine mandates proposed by the president have included religious exceptions or an for people who choose not to be vaccinated to undergo regular testing for COVID-19. And few if any governmental entities in the state have imposed vaccine mandates.

It also is unclear how many Mississippi companies, such as on the Gulf Coast, would be impacted by the legislation if the president ultimately prevails in the courts on his mandate that companies and entities that receive federal funds require its employees to be vaccinated.

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The bill could place Ingalls, which is dependent on federal contracts, in a precarious situation of to choose to obey state or federal mandates.

Mims said the legislation would not ease the multiple vaccine mandates currently in state for both in secondary schools and in colleges and universities.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Powerball jackpot increases to $935 million after no one wins the top prize

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www.wjtv.com – Matthew Knight – 2024-03-28 05:00:55

SUMMARY: The Powerball jackpot is now at $935 million after no winners were drawn. The Mega Millions jackpot was won in New Jersey for $1.13 . The Powerball jackpot has not been won since New Year's Day. The next drawing is for a sole winner who will be paid over 30 years through an annuity. Experts recommend taking the annuity option as it provides more control and protection for the winnings. Taxes will be withheld regardless of the payout option. Financial and legal advice is recommended for jackpot winners. Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Mississippi News

Warming trend for Easter weekend – Home – WCBI TV

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www.wcbi.com – Isaac Williams – 2024-03-28 04:08:29

SUMMARY: The weather in Columbus, Mississippi will be cold in the mornings but warm up in the afternoons for the Easter . Thursday will be sunny with highs in the 60s, dropping to the 30s at night with patchy frost. Friday will have highs in the 70s, and the weekend will be even warmer with temperatures in the 80s and no rain expected. Next will see warm and humid with the possibility of scattered showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. It is still unsure if the storms will be severe.

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The post Warming trend for Easter weekend – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com

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Two Rankin County teens arrested for shooting death of 14-year-old in Jackson

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-03-27 19:16:28

SUMMARY: Two teenagers from Rankin County, Maxle Mooneyham, 16, and John Foote, 17, were in connection to the shooting of 14-year-old Cameron Horne-Crook in . The suspects were charged with murder and were assisted in their arrest by Rankin County deputies and Pearl . Horne-Crook was shot multiple times on March 25 in the 3500 block of Ridgecrest . He was a student at Northwest Rankin Middle School. The names of the suspects were corrected by Jackson police in an updated announcement.

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The post Two Rankin County teens arrested for shooting death of 14-year-old in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com

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