Another Potential Vaccine Mandate Bill in CA
and Independent Contractors added to yesterday's bill!
Sign the Petition and
Make plans to come to Sacramento September 8th

Yesterday, A Voice for Choice Advocacy notified you about a potential bill being brought forward by Assembly members Wicks, Low and Weber, as well as Senators Pan, Newman and Wiener that would require ALL employers in California to require all their employees to be full vaccinated, and would require everyone 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated to enter any inn, hotel, motel, or lodging establishment, any restaurant, bar, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain, or other facilities engaged in selling food or beverages for consumption on the premises, and any motion picture house, theater, concert hall, sports arena, stadium, gym, spa, or other place of exhibition or entertainment.  The only exemptions will be medical and disability exemptions, with the slight possibility of a religious exemption.

The potential bill language (AB455) has now been expanded to require all Independent Contractors to be fully vaccinated.  And another potential bill (AB1102) has been added by Assembly member Low that amends current state discrimination statute (Section 12940 of the Government Code) by specifying that the law does not prevent an employer from requiring a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment for all employees, interns, apprentices or those seeking unpaid work experience.  More detail on both bills below.

Please take Action TODAY!

Please sign and share this petition to show your opposition to this bill and to mandating vaccines in California.

https://tinyurl.com/CAVaxMandatePetition
(Please share this link far and wide)

Make plans to be in Sacramento September 8 for a rally and demonstration organized by V is for Vaccine and AVFCA

FAQ on these two potential bills:  

If I search AB455 and AB1102 why do a transportation bill and a telephone medical advice services bill show up? Neither of the bills have been introduced (yet).  The language shared with AVFCA is draft language, and therefore subject to change or not be introduced at all.  There is a chance that these bills do not get introduced this year, but if that is the case, they are likely to be introduced next year.

How does A Voice for Choice Advocacy have access to this draft language?  For the past six years, I and our two lobbyists have been working tirelessly to nurture relationships with people in and around the Capitol, so that we are considered the professional go-to organization on these issues. It is these contacts that allow us to get information before it becomes available to the public.  The draft language of the two bills can be read here: 
Potential AB455 language: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AB455-Draft-RN-2118069-Completed-082621.pdf
Potential AB1102 language: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AB1102-Draft-RN-2118081-Completed-082621.pdf

How can a bill be introduced and turned around with only 10 days of the legislative session left?  It is possible to get this bill on the governor's desk before the September 10th, 2021 deadline.  However, it will require all the rules to be waived so it can be expedited.  Both of these bills will have to be heard in a Senate Committee, likely the Senate Health Committee of which Senator Pan is the chair, then be voted on the Senate Floor, voted on the Assembly Floor, before going to the Governor's desk.  Both bills are "urgency" bills which means they require a 2/3 majority vote and would go into effect as soon as they are signed by the Governor.

What is the likelihood of these bills being introduced this session?  The answer to this question really depends on whether Governor Newsom is in favor of having them introduced.  If he thinks that voters in favor of vaccine mandates will come out to support him in his efforts from being recalled, he will push them to go through.  He may also feel that he wants them to be pushed through because if he is recalled then these laws would be in place with little ability to remove them by a new Governor.  Strategically, AVFCA believes these bills will do the opposite and drive small and large business owners, as well as concerned citizens, healthcare workers, first responders to the polls to vote YES on the Recall.

Other than not wanting vaccine mandates, what are the specific issues A Voice for Choice Advocacy has with these bills? 
- There is no definition of "fully vaccinated."  It will likely be up to the California Department of Public Health to define that.  You may be fully vaccinated today with two vaccines, but tomorrow when CDPH decides you need a booster or three, you will be prevented from entering these establishments or keeping your job.  Your 11 year old will be able to come to restaurants with you but when they turn 12 years old, they will have to take however many doses of the vaccine to comply.
- Those who are not currently vaccinated in California are disproportionately Black, Hispanic and Native American.  This bill will discriminate against these minority groups and will exacerbate already existing health inequities given minorities lesser access to the healthcare system. (https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/latest-data-on-covid-19-vaccinations-race-ethnicity/)
- Those who have had COVID-19 and therefore have natural immunity, but would be considered unvaccinated, even though they are less likely to transmit COVID-19 than the vaccinated.
- Small businesses, which have already been hit hardest by COVID restrictions, will again be impacted.  45% of Californians will not be able to patronize these establishments.
- The already hard hit, California lodging facilities will lose business, with the unvaccinated forced to stay at Airbnb type vacation rentals when traveling.
- Employers, already struggling to find staff, will have to fire those who refuse to get vaccinated, leaving them even more short-handed. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/millions-are-unemployed-why-cant-companies-find-workers-11620302440)
- California will be left without enough first responders and people will die.  Half of the major CA fire deparments, thousands of nurses, hundreds of police officers have all said they will not get the vaccine.  (https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2021/08/california-vaccine-mandates-workplaces/)
- Employers will take on the burden of liability, opening themselves up to Civil Rights and vaccine injury liability lawsuits - this would not be the case if AB1102 also passes.
- Employers will see workers compensation and insurance costs skyrocket - this would also not be the case if AB1102 also passes.

If this bill passes, the real question is where does it end? The removal of your driver's license, throttled internet access, flight bans?  A social credit score system that monitors everything you do?  If you think this could never be a reality in California, take a look at China (https://www.businessinsider.com/china-social-credit-system-punishments-and-rewards-explained-2018-4?op=1), and consider the billion dollar deals Governor Newsom has made with China over the past 18 months.   

Please take Action TODAY!

Please sign and share this petition to show your opposition to this bill and to mandating vaccines in California.

https://tinyurl.com/CAVaxMandatePetition
(Please share this link far and wide)

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.
 

Together we can make change happen!

C

Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org