AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has created a hotline for Texans to report vaccine mandates from employers.
"Since day one, the State of Texas has taken a stand against the federal government's unconstitutional COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the workplace, three of which have since been deemed illegal by federal courts," said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. "My Executive Order clearly states that no employer can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for an employee with a religious, personal, or medical exemption.
Abbott issued a statement Tuesday after the Texas Workforce Commission's (TWC) sent a letter to Texas employers about Governor Abbott's Executive Order GA-40, which says that an employer cannot impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on an employee who qualifies for an exemption for religious, personal, or medical reasons.
The letter also details how employees can report employers who violate Abbott's order.
"We have now created a hotline for employees to report illegal vaccine mandates in Texas," says Abbott. "While I encourage Texans to get the COVID-19 vaccine, it will always be voluntary, and never forced, in Texas, and we are committed to ensuring Texans' livelihoods are not jeopardized by federal overreach."
The full letter can be read here:
Letter Employers COVID 19 Vac Mandate by Ryan Garza on Scribd
Texans are urged to report by calling (800) 939-6631 or emailing vaccine_job_loss@twc.texas.gov.
Governor Greg Abbottissued the original executive order on Oct. 11, stating that no entity in Texas can force any receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination by any individual.
In Abbott's order, he states, "countless Texans fear losing their livelihoods because they object to receiving a COVID- 19 vaccination for reasons of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19".
Those who violate the order may need to pay a maximum $1,000 fine, but according to the order, jail time “is not an available penalty for violating this executive order.”
The full order can be read here:
