Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery on Tuesday joined a legal effort to stop the Biden administration’s medical mandates for individuals involved in Head Start Programs.
Head Start Programs attempt to prepare children from low-income families for school. The programs focus on early learning and development, health, and family well-being.
The mandates imposed by the federal government will force certain children involved in the curriculum to wear a mask. Additionally, teachers and volunteers will be mandated to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Including Tennessee, officials in 23 different states signed onto the lawsuit to block the move from the executive branch,
“We have consistently opposed mandates in the context of education, defending state statutes passed by our General Assembly. This challenge is consistent with our past positions, especially in the context of education. Again, these are issues best prescribed by states who are responsible for the safety and health of their citizens and who are most familiar with circumstances facing educators. The ‘one size fits all’ approach is not workable,” said General Slatery.
If the mandate is allowed to continue, members of the program will have to be fully vaccinated by January 31, and staffing levels may decrease.
The suit argues the restriction is illegal and violates several provisions.
“The Head Start Mandate is unlawful. It exceeds the executive’s statutory authority; is contrary to law; illegally bypassed notice and comment; is arbitrary and capricious; constitutes an exercise of legislative power in violation of the Nondelegation Doctrine; and violates the Congressional Review Act, the Tenth Amendment, the Anti-Commandeering doctrine, the Spending Clause, and the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 1999,” the lawsuit explains.
Multiple vaccine mandates imposed by President Biden have been paused by members of the federal judiciary.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
