ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia senators want to prevent state agencies and local governments from requiring COVID-19 vaccines.
They voted 31-19 on Friday to ban such requirements until mid-2023, sending the bill to the House for more debate.
Republicans supporting Senate Bill 345 say the state shouldn’t be able to force the inoculation against the respiratory illness.
Democrats say the GOP is kowtowing to misinformation on vaccines, discouraging a protective measure in a state close to the bottom in vaccination rates.
As amended, the measure excludes health care facilities that are subject to federal mandates for their employees to get vaccinated.
