At least a dozen firefighters and state troopers in Clark County joined forces with workers from across the state in filing a complaint on Sept. 10
Jessica Wilkinson
For ClarkCountyToday.com
The separation of powers, right to privacy, and freedom of religion are at the heart of a recent lawsuit filed against Gov. Jay Inslee for his COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The governor’s mandate applies to all Washington state employees and contractors, public and private healthcare workers, and educators.
At least a dozen firefighters and state troopers in Clark County joined forces with workers from across the state in filing a complaint on Sept. 10, which alleges the mandate exceeds the governor’s legal authority and violates the rights of workers under the Washington State Constitution.
“These civil liberties issues affect every single person in the state of Washington, regardless of political opinion on any given topic,” said Nathan J. Arnold, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. “This is not about the very real threat of COVID-19. This is not about being for or against vaccines. This is about the Governor ignoring the supreme law of the state, attempting to replace the representative legislature, and doing whatever he wants, contrary to laws put in place for pandemic response.”
Arnold represents a diverse group of workers facing termination of employment on Oct. 18 in light of the governor’s mandate. The punishment for non-compliance is “overly severe, punitive, and unconscionable,” according to the suit. “The penalty is further arbitrary and capricious where not tailored to those state employees with natural immunity by virtue of prior infection and/ or the ability to perform their duties from home.”
A forthcoming amendment to the complaint will add hundreds of similarly situated plaintiffs to the original 90.
Deprivation of the right to privacy and of religious freedom are outlined in the lawsuit, as well as the deprivation of life, liberty, or property as a “direct consequence of both the State’s inquiries on the religious questionnaire, which is not consistent with due process, and the Governor’s Mandate, which was not properly or legally enacted, and which is not consistent with due process.”
Mike Falk, spokesperson for the Governor’s Office, stated Wednesday, “We disagree and we look forward to litigating this in court when we respond.”
“It’s appropriate use of the governor’s emergency authority under extraordinary circumstances,” Falk added. “We don’t think it’s too much to ask public servants to help the public by being vaccinated.”
According to Arnold, the governor may only prohibit certain activities during a state of emergency, not create new laws in the absence of the legislature. He also may not discriminate against protected classes of people and infringe on First Amendment rights.
“We cannot have a terrible constitutional crisis on top of a terrible health crisis,” Arnold maintained. “We must protect our workers from this unlawful overreach.”
Jessica Hofer Wilkinson is a freelance writer, home educator and mother of four and nursing home chaplain. She resides in Clark County.
Glad to see that there are still people who belive in the constitution, and in laws, for the people. Our brave heroes just a short time ago are now being punished by our current elected officials.
Anybody who doesn’t want to vaccinate and then end up with COVID please don’t go to the hospital and burden the staff and he health care workers.
anybody who is fat and gets diabetes, please don’t burden hospitals with your need for insulin. Anyone who eats garbage and has a heart attack, please don’t come to the hospital- Anyone who smokes and gets COPD- please stay home and don’t burden the hospital for your oxygen need. Anyone who uses toxic chemicals in their homes and who eats crap and gets cancer, please do not come to the hospital for treatment. SHALL I GO ON?
excellent point mona!
Except Mona that all of your examples are ones that only affect the person. No one is going to die from diabetes because they sat next to someone with diabetes at a hospital. At least compare apples to apples if you are trying to look smart.
Mona, why don’t we just set you up in the hospital lobby, and you can make the moral judgements for society on who should live and who should die?
@Reena. Get over yourself. You may want the government running your life because you don’t know how but everyone has their own right to choose vaccination.
For your information, there are people who got vaccine and still go to hospital because of COVID. Also there are people who got vaccine and have heart problem, cardiac arrest and death, hospitals help the as well.open your eyes, do research and do not listen fake media
Why? That is their job. Don’t be a moron Reena
Definitely do not go to the hospital, because they will kill you using the wrong protocol. Buy a nebulizer and learn to tske care if yourself.
That’s not true. They aren’t being punished. They still have the opportunity to remain unvaccinated if they wish. But if they want to work in clinics and hospitals, then they’ll have to be vaccinated. We all have a right to expect an environment that won’t be putting our health in jeopardy when we have to go to these medical facilities. If you want to remain unvaccinated you simply need to work elsewhere.
If you are vaccinated why do you care?
I am going to have to disagree. Giving the people who saved lives an ultimatum, get shot or lose job and your health coverage is a punishment. And it effects us too.
So since the State is the only option for law enforcement, what is a Trooper supposed to do if he already has natural immunity from getting Covid and doesn’t want to get a useless shot?
Vantucky at its finest.
The fact you apparently hold the State of Kentucky in such contempt says more about your ignorant prejudice than anything else.
😂 really? Your take on this is that your defending Kentucky? 😅
Vancouver has been known as Van tuckey for years
People should want to be a part of the solution to this pandemic. Maybe the people discussing this issue on not getting vaccinated step aside and let someone have an opportunity to have one of their jobs in the discussion. Think how much the state will save on people that have worked there for years and years. Let’s say starting at 15 dollars and after all the raises over years now make 25-40 plus an hour. That same job given to a new “ vaccinated” employee today may be a starting pay of maybe 25 an hour. Wow what a savings to the state on payroll and a great service a vaccinated person is doing for there community and families across America.
Except for the fact that there isn’t anyone qualified and willing to work. Not to mention these are the same people who worked all last year, without vaccines on the front lines. And now people are treating them like crap. And I’ve had my vaccine. I’m not against the vaccine. But being told what to do with my body? Not okay.
Yes, and there used to be a day there wasn’t a polio vaccine, or measles, … . They are now required for all schools. It’s called protecting society. Covid vaccines are no different.
The idea that you shouldn’t have to because we once didn’t have the vaccine is absurd.
Covid vaccines are no different? You really just said that.
Is getting the flu vaccines next on the mandate list. I bet someone is working on one for the common cold. Maybe we should also add it to the list when available? This thing is a pandemic because of propaganda to make it a pandemic. Look at the survival rates. It is hardly the Black Plague that people are making it out to be.
You win the prize. That’s the most ill informed comment in the thread. Tucker Carlson would be proud of you. BRILLIANT !!!
Except covid has a 99.7% survival rate.
1 in 500 have died from COVID.
Nope that is called tyranny! All these brave people in hospitals, first responder, cops were hero’s now they get treated like crap!
So shameful, these are the people who know best how to be around COVID and stay safe! No respect for our Hero’s!
It’s not a body my choice situation. If you’re an employee for the state, you should live up to certain mandates. You set the example. That’s it. You can get another job if you disagree.
I agree with you, in part, but changing the terms of employment AFTER employment – in some cases for decades of employment – it cannot be justified because of another surge in Covid cases.
Shall we change the terms of your employment – with a mandate, let’s say, that violates your own conscience or freedom of expression? And give your job to someone else who is more willing?
You agree with the mandate now, so this is an easy position for you. But regimes change – opinions, politics, and yes, even scientific knowledge/consensus. – and when they do, government will still have the same authority to impose mandates on you. Scary, right?
Every situation should be a my body my choice situation. It’s government overreach and it’s because of people like you that America won’t be the land of the free for much longer and with so many giving into their demands it definately isn’t looking like we’re made up of too many brave anymore either. Bunch of overly offended pansies.
Well, then let’s just let prisoners out since not enough employees to guard them. Or feed and maintain them. Already talk of a riot. Maybe some of the inmates can live by you.
That’s way over simplifying but also over dramatic at the same time. Good job.
I know of a group of people that aren’t in prison that will probably start a riot if forced to be vaccinated. How can you expect people that have been lied to time and time again by our government to trust injecting anything into their own personal human body? Especially with agenda-21 in full effect. I am not a religious person. However, a good majority of the world are religious. Therefore, the vaccine to them may be viewed as excepting the mark of the beast, wich goes against what some base their entire life and death upon. Besides all of that, if you have this wanderful vaccine that’s supposedly going to stop this man made virus, then why in the hell should you be bothered by someone that refuses to be vaccinated? Is the vaccine not doing what it’s supposed to do? If that is the case maybe now you will better understand why there are so many out there against this so called vaccine. Personally, I have never gotten a flu shot and in my opinion due to that I have a pretty strong immune system. All a vaccine does is weaken your bodies natural ability to fight off disease on its own. That vaccine is only strengthening the virus and making it mutate into something that’s going to wipe out the human race. If you still choose to put that into your body, that is your choice. I believe that the vaccinated are turning into walking peetree dishes. So if we all thought like I do then all of these do gooders that are getting the vaccine are actually the ones adding to the extinction of the human race. Thanks alot!
You are right being a firefighter is easy, anyone can do it 🙄
What a bunch of whiny babies. Take the shot, end the pandemic, stop dragging us all down with you.
If you got the shot what are you afraid of? If the jab worked why not let us non vaxxers die off, since you guys will be fine. If the Jab worked why are the vaccinated still getting sick? If the vaccine worked why are you guys making up again?! I know a lot of people that got the shot because they were promised no more masks. What happened to that promise
If the virus sticks around, it will mutate (thus Delta variant) and it keeps going and will keep affecting people. Yes, vaccinated people will likely keep getting boosters to protect themselves, but even vaccinated people could get complications, it’s not 100%.
There are vaccine requirements for Polio, etc as well for these people. So they have no leg to stand on for this law-suit.
Believe me, I really hope you anti-science nutjobs die off immediately.
You will die first most likely. Biden voters should be brought to the gallows…..
Whiny babies? Hardly.
Not sure if you realize it or not but many, many people that ARE vaccinated are still getting COVID. So much for getting the jab and ending COVID.
The goal is to reach heard immunity. Vaccines are just one part of the equation…along with natural immunity, boosting our immune system and our general health condition.
Name calling does nothing to strengthen your position, regardless of which side of the discussion you choose to be on.
Not many people who have been vaccinated get serious covid complications, plus non-vaccinators can lead to to more variants.
Also, it’s herd immunity, not “heard” immunity. I feel quite safe being vaccinated, but I know that I can still get a much less serious case of COVID than some person who has not been vaccinated. (Some of whom are stupid enough to use drugs use drugs used for cattle). Pull your head out. I’m not fearful, I’m going traveling next regardless of what the unvaccinated do. If you want to be stubborn and refuse to get vaccinated go ahead, I don’t care if you get COVID-19 and die or get long haul.
Love your common sense Pat, not so common anymore!
Are you really so ignorant that you think every person in the world getting vaccinated will eliminate Covid. Tackle making the common fruit fly extinct and I will consider the possibity of eradicating Covid. Wow…you really CAN’T fix stupid!
You have no clue how any of this works do you? Must be a biden voter…..
You really just called Troopers and Firefighters “Whiny Babies?” These are people who take risks every day for your safety that would make you wet your pants and run away screaming.
And the fact that you think principled, logical arguments against a government mandate are founded in “fear” says more about you than it does them.
The shot does not prevent covid, I call it a shot because to be a vaccine it has to provide immunity. All the shot does is lessen your likelihood of showing symptoms and lessen your chance of dying from covid. The shot creates asymptomatic super spreaders. This is also the reason covid would disappear if enough are vaccinated. We would quit testing for it cause most would become asymptomatic and abracadabra covid is “gone” and the pandemic is over. I honestly would feel safer around someone who is not vaccinated and would know to stay home when having symptoms. We see this happen all the time in the hospitals, we change testing criteria for certain things which then makes it look like the disease has all but disappeared. I am not an anti-vaxxer and very much encourage people to get their “vaccines” I do not feel it necessary for everyone to be forced to get a shot that has plenty of evidence out there that it is not effective in preventing disease. I recovered from covid about a year ago and I still have antibodies so why is it necessary for me to get a shot? Natural immunity has not been taken into account for covid and this is one reason why so many are so hesitant on getting the shot. Also, Clark county has a large Russian population and the reason they don’t trust the shot is because of the mandates coming from the government, this is the reason they fled to America in the first place. Honestly, the best way to keep from getting sick is to quit touching your face without washing your hands. Wearing gloves and then touching everything is not going to help. Make sure you are properly using sanitizer on your hands and cleaning products. The most important thing you could do is stay home if you are sick. One last note, hospitals are still having outbreaks among staff even though they all have the shot, and ones that did not get it are not allowed to work unless 100% remotely.
This is what happens when you have a complete idiot as Governor.. the west side of WA is a cesspool thanks to him and the clueless dem mayors!
Yep. It’s totally a liberal issue for a pandemic. 😂
Lefties are the dumbest/laziest people around!!
There is no health crisis, and we are not in an emergency situation, and haven’t been for a very long time.
The state of Washington needs to investigate governor Inslee for corruption and his involvement with the Chinese Communist Party.
Medical products, especially those with such severe adverse health events as have been reported after COVID vaccination, should NEVER be mandatory. As of Sept. 3, 2021, a total of 675,593 adverse events following COVID vaccines were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The data included a total of 14,506 reports of deaths Adverse events reported include serious Cardiac disorders, blood clots, strokes, neurological and movement conditions, anaphylaxis, miscarriages and more.
Based on what we know about COVID vaccines, mandating them for the public is a “potentially harmful, damaging act,” according to New York physician Nina Pierpont, M.D., Ph.D. In a paper published Sept. 9, Pierpoint analyzed studies published in August 2021 which she said prove the Delta variant is evading the available COVID vaccines.
While mandating one medical product that is lucrative for Gates & Big Pharma, other medical products like Ivermectin are severely restricted or not accessible to people who want them. Dr. Cole, CEO of Cole Diagnostics and a board-certified dermatopathologist trained at the Mayo Clinic, said he has a motto when it comes to the coronavirus: Test and treat early.
Christopher Brenner, a healthy 25-year-old from Ohio, was hospitalized with severe heart inflammation after receiving his first dose of Moderna’s COVID vaccine.
In an exclusive interview with The Defender, 16-year-old Sarah Green and her mother described Sarah’s neurological symptoms following vaccination with Pfizer,
In an interview with The Defender, Dominique De Silva described her frustration trying to get answers for the neurological complications she developed after her first dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine,
Cheryl Cohen, developed Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease after getting the Pfizer vaccine, and died within three months of her second dose.
Hundreds Injured by COVID Vaccines Turn to GoFundMe for Help With Expenses
There are too many reports of lives lost and debilitating adverse events to note details in these comments.
LOL
Why would you think these anecdotes are funny?
Assuming they are true (I’m assuming that’s why references are provided), how would you justify the continuation mandated vaccinations?
Do you know anyone who has died from getting vaccinated? Did you laugh?
According to the CDC 7,653 have died from the vaccine.
And unlike the disease, which typically kills older and unhealthy people, the majority of those were young and healthy.
So gee, why would young healthy people like say, firefighters, not want to get the vaccine?
Folks,
1 in 500 people have died related to COVID. Those are not good odds. If I was given those odds with the Lottery I’d be playing all the time. Get vaccinated and your odds of survival and not getting COVID with long term complications are greatly increased.
If you were playing the lotto with those odds, you’d still lose all your money.
Bull crap. Just keep watching FOX news.
Your “civil liberties” give way to my and my families life. You are civil servants, government employees: Quit whining and get the shot. “The life you save could be mine.”
I’ll make the call right now. These lawsuits are going to loose in the end.
How do others join this lawsuit?
Per the article, ‘A forthcoming amendment to the complaint will add hundreds of similarly situated plaintiffs to the original 90.” An attorney by the name of Nathan J Arnold works at this firm, https://cajlawyers.com/
Once a tyrant drinks from the cup of power they are hooked on power just for the sake of total control. We have no king!
This is embarrassing.
Do any of these people wash their hands after using the restroom?
So if the FDA approved Pfizer vaccine Cominarty, is not available in the US yet, then all 3 vaccines are still under emergency use and cannot be mandated?
I don’t see much of that in the news.
Just get the shot.
Your kids have had mandated shots for school entry for years. It’s very doubtful that ANY of these fools are anti vaxxers, just idiots.
F——Jay inslee and vote him out of office. We do not live in China.
A recent article from The BMJ – a British health care journal for health care professionals:
https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2101
——————–
The title of the article:
“Vaccinating people who have had covid-19: why doesn’t natural immunity count in the US?”
——————–
“The US CDC estimates that SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 100 million Americans, and evidence is mounting that natural immunity is at least as protective as vaccination. Yet public health leadership says everyone needs the vaccine. Jennifer Block investigates”
Clowns setting a example for the #GOPKILLS. We don’t need police or firefights that have pride but no ethical example for real American to follow. Set an example of religious dogma over citizens. We don’t need them.
So to be clear, the govt can tell a woman what she can [not] do with her body but the same govt can’t tell us to get vaccine? Common sense and logic seem to have disappeared in this country in the last 5 years.