Arizona State Senator Blasts Gov. Katie Hobbs Following Veto of Vaccine Religious Exemption Bill

Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp (R-Surprise) released a statement Thursday stating her disappointment with Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), who vetoed her Senate Bill (SB) aiming to ensure health professionals can get religious exemption from taking a vaccine.

“I spent my entire career as a nurse, being an advocate for my patients and ensuring that their beliefs are respected and protected,” said Shamp. “The reason I’m here at the Senate, is because I was fired from my job as a nurse after refusing to get the experimental COVID-19 vaccine. My top priority is this bill because during the pandemic, Americans’ medical freedoms were taken from them, myself included. For me, the Governor’s veto is personal.”

As reported by The Arizona Sun Times, Shamp’s bill, SB 1250, would have ensured that every employee in the state, no matter where they work, had the opportunity to submit a religious exemption form to opt out of taking a vaccine. Aside from the COVID-19 vaccine, employees could also have petitioned against taking the flu, influenza, or any vaccine designated for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If the employee had submitted the proper exemption form, the employer could not inquire into the legitimacy of the claim and would have had to let the employee skip the shot. Moreover, if an employer does not accept an exemption form, the employee could have filed a complaint with the attorney general, who could then impose a $5,000 civil penalty on the employer if the error is not corrected.

However, in her veto letter, Hobbs said this law is “unnecessary” as federal employment laws already allow religious exemptions. Additionally, she stated concern that the civil penalties could hurt Arizona businesses.

“Let’s work together to find bipartisan solutions that promote the educated and healthy workforce that is essential for Arizona’s economy,” Hobbs wrote.

Shamp took issue with Hobbs’s wording, stating that calling out the education of anyone who refused the COVID-19 vaccine “is beyond an insult.” Nonetheless, despite the setback, Shamp said she would continue fighting for medical freedom, which is the reason she joined the legislature in the first place.

State Representative Matt Gress (R-Phoenix) announced that his bill HB 2381 was signed into law after receiving bipartisan help in the legislature.

“As someone who spent his childhood growing up in a single-wide mobile home, this bill was personal, as our family and many others living in mobile homes have few extra dollars to spare, especially in a life-altering event like these park closures,” Gress said.

Now that the bill has become law, if someone lives in a mobile home or RV in a trailer park and has to move because the park is being redeveloped, they can take extra money from the Mobile Home Relocation Fund (MHRF). The Arizona Department of Housing administers this fund. Previously when a mobile home owner was forced to move from a park, they could at most receive $7,500 for a single section and $12,500 for a multisection home, but those numbers are now increased to $12,500 and $20,000, respectively.

As reported by 12 News, three mobile home parks in Phoenix are set to close for redevelopment, and residents are fearful they do not have anywhere else to go.

Gress said he hopes this new law will help people like these more.

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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Janae Shamp” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Pima County Public Library.

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