Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday, Oct. 25, signed an executive order meant to help with legal challenges to President Joe Biden's vaccine mandates. Ivey stressed that the new federal vaccine mandates, including on government contractors and private businesses with more than 100 employees, "rest on dubious grounds" and "constitute significant federal overreach."
The Republican governor directed all state agencies to ignore Biden's mandates and "cooperate to the fullest extent possible" with Attorney General Steve Marshall. The executive order also directs all state entities to avoid including a vaccine mandate in agreements with contractors.
The executive order does not directly prevent companies in Alabama from implementing vaccine requirements but is meant to aid in legal battles with the Biden administration. (Related: More than half of U.S. states vow to fight Biden's vaccine mandate.)
"If the federal government presses on with these new federal mandates, then the Biden White House has once again failed the American people," Ivey said in an accompanying news release.
"As I have stated, no doubt, this will be challenged in federal courts. I am already working in concert with Attorney General Steve Marshall, because Alabama is standing firm in this fight. This latest move by the federal government is what I believe is an illegal overreach, and I am confident we will win the battle in the courts."
Florida governor opposes vaccine mandate for police officers
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for legislation that would offer $5,000 to any law enforcement officers who want to relocate to the Sunshine State. The Republican said he's against requiring vaccination for police officers because most of the first responders already have natural immunity against Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). (Related: Policymakers ignoring natural immunity to COVID in favor of vaccine immunity.)
DeSantis appeared on Fox News, telling host Maria Bartiromo that his team is actively working to attract cops from out of state who are resisting Biden's vaccine mandates.
"NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you're not being treated well, we will treat you better here," DeSantis said. "You can fill important needs for us, and we will compensate you as a result."
DeSantis noted that relocating cops will have roles within Florida's police and sheriff department. He also said that the state is moving ahead of a looming unconstitutional mandate by the Biden administration that would require all U.S. businesses with 100 or more workers to mandate vaccination or weekly testing.
He described Biden's vaccine mandates as "unconstitutional."
"Biden's mandates will wreak havoc in the economy, because even if a small percentage of these folks end up losing their jobs or voluntarily walking away, you're going to have huge disruptions in medical, in logistics, in law enforcement," DeSantis said.
During a recent CNN town hall, Biden said that law enforcement and emergency personnel should be fired if they do not comply with vaccine mandates.
"Should police officers, emergency responders be mandated to get vaccines? And if not, should they be stay at home or let go?" CNN's political commentator Anderson Cooper asked the president.
"Yes and yes. By the way, by the way, I waited until July to talk about mandating because I tried everything else possible. The mandates are working," responded Biden.
"All this stuff about people leaving and people getting it, you have everyone from United Airlines to Spirit, all these airlines, 96 to 97 percent of the people have gotten the vaccine. All the talk about all these folks who are going to leave the military if they're mandated. Not true. You got about a 90-plus percent vaccination rate."
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