Tennessee State Senator Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) sent a letter on Monday to Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally asking for a special session in response to President Joe Biden’s executive order on vaccine mandates.
Sharing the letter on Twitter, White wrote in a tweet, “I share the concerns of many Rutherford County residents regarding the unconstitutional and inappropriate mandates announced last week by the federal government. It is time that we take action as a state. See my letter requesting a special session of the General Assembly.”
I share the concerns of many Rutherford County residents regarding the unconstitutional and inappropriate mandates announced last week by the federal government. It is time that we take action as a state. See my letter requesting a special session of the General Assembly. pic.twitter.com/fk8R1lNtX6
— Dawn White (@VoteDawn) September 14, 2021
White’s letter reads in part, “I firmly believe that it is up to the states to take a strong stand to aggressively push back against federal overreach. While the General Assembly has previously taken decisive action to prohibit government entities within our state from implementing vaccine passports, last week’s actions by President Biden clearly demonstrate a lack of regard for personal liberty and long standing constitutional principles.”
White goes on to say, “I also believe that the General Assembly should be directly involved in policies impacting our public schools during this critical time. I am hereby requesting that the legislature be called back into session so we can promptly address these and a number of other issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Biden’s newest executive order on vaccine mandates will require companies with 100 employees or more to require vaccinations or weekly COVID-19 tests and will impact 80 million Americans.
White isn’t the only Tennessee lawmaker to seek a special session in regard to COVID mitigation protocols. Last month, House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) asked Governor Bill Lee to call a special session in an attempt to block school districts from implementing mask mandates.
In response, Lee instead decided to sign an executive order which allows parents to opt-out of mask mandates in schools.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Dawn White” by Dawn White. Background Photo “US Capitol” by jensjunge.
