Austin Mayor Steve Adler recently criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for an executive order from the governor’s desk which prohibited private businesses from implementing vaccine mandates in their companies.
Abbott’s grounds for the order come down to personal sovereignty when it comes to making decisions about personal health and risk tolerance.
“Texans are tired of living in a political tornado. In August, @GovAbbott stated that private businesses had the option to mandate vaccines to protect their own workers and customers. Now he’s taking that option away in the name of freedom? It seems like quite the opposite,” Adler tweeted.
Abbott’s executive order comes at the same time that President Joe Biden (D) is implementing federal orders for vaccine mandates in companies with more than 100 employees, which would encompass a huge swath of businesses in the U.S.
"In yet another instance of federal government overreach, the Biden administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas's continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster," Abbott said in his order, according to the Texas Tribune.
The governor’s order states that, “Legislation establishing that no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.”
"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Abbott said.
The matter of vaccine mandates has been made a part of the third special session.
Previously, Abbott had said that private businesses have the choice to require vaccines for their workers.
Currently, 52% of Texans are fully vaccinated, including Abbott, who has advocated for the vaccine but continues to push for personal freedom of individuals to choose.