Updated 12:45 p.m. on Thursday with Missouri Chamber of Commerce statement
A group of Republican state senators wants Gov. Mike Parson to call a special session to prevent private-sector companies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations.
But that鈥檚 not likely to happen, based off a statement from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and due to Parson鈥檚
Since the delta variant began to spread throughout the state, some businesses have announced that they will require employees, or customers, to show proof of vaccination. That鈥檚 become an
, dated Monday, asks Parson to call a special session to 鈥減rotect Missouri workers from vaccine mandates, whether they be from the public or the private sector.鈥�
鈥淥ver the past several weeks Missouri employers have signaled their intention to require employees and staff to have received the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. In other words 鈥� get the shot or lose your job,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淭his is concerning to a wide cross-section of Missourians.鈥�
The letter goes on to say, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not our job to force it nor it the job of businesses and employers to force the vaccine. Our job is to safeguard the rights and liberties of the people we represent.鈥�
The letter is signed by Sens. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville; Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring; Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg; Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove; Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis; and Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston.
In a recent interview, Parson said the state would not issue any vaccine mandates. He said that vaccine mandates could have unintended consequences, including prompting
But he also said he wasn鈥檛 in favor of the state stopping private businesses from making their own decisions about COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
鈥淒o you require somebody in private business, that owns their own business, to tell them whether they can do a mandated vaccine or not? So far we鈥檙e not going to go down that road,鈥� Parson said. 鈥淚f that business decides they want to do that, we鈥檙e going to allow them to do that in this state until something changes to show us differently.鈥�
that he wasn鈥檛 enthusiastic about calling special sessions on anything except the renewal of a tax to help fund Medicaid and congressional redistricting. The special session on what鈥檚 known as the federal reimbursement allowance for Medicaid wrapped up earlier this summer. Parson has not yet called the congressional redistricting special session.
On Thursday, Missouri Chamber of Commerce President Dan Mehan slammed the call for a special session. He said his organization, which is influential among Republican lawmakers, "stands against attempts to place reckless new restrictions on the state鈥檚 business community."
"Employers have long had the ability to mandate vaccinations and the Missouri Chamber believes all employers should continue to have this right when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine," Mehan said. "An employer鈥檚 ability to mandate vaccination is supported by state law, federal law and the courts. While there are encouraging signs that vaccination is on the rise in Missouri, we need this trend to continue as we work to contain the Delta-variant outbreak. We don鈥檛 need new roadblocks to recovery."
The Missouri Chamber has been encouraging businesses to vaccinate their employees 鈥� and in radio ads to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Neither St. Louis nor St. Louis County is forcing businesses to require vaccines, nor are they likely able to based on a state law barring local governments from requiring vaccine paperwork 鈥漣n order for the individual to access transportation systems or services or any other public accommodations.鈥�
Follow Jason on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
