The Kansas Senate struggled with a series of amendments Monday before passing a bill defining wide religious and medical exemptions to federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates and extending state unemployment assistance to people fired for refusing inoculations.
On the to-do list for the Kansas Legislature’s special session will be laws making it easier for a person to claim a religious exemption to vaccination mandates, and they’ll likely consider granting unemployment benefits to anyone fired for refusing to be vaccinated or to undergo regular testing.
Eric Stafford, lobbyist for the Kansas Chamber, wants legislators to understand that businesses don’t want mandates “from either side.”
Daran Duffy wore the Star of David while complaining about COVID-19 vaccine mandates, inviting the wrath of one Democrat, who was cut off and told to be respectful.
Senate President Ty Masterson says “motions are underway” to call a special session for Nov. 22 to address legislation dealing with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Top House and Senate lawmakers agreed Monday to establish a special committee to examine options for thwarting federal policy layered with COVID-19 government mandates tied to the pandemic that so far killed more than 6,000 residents of Kansas.
