South Iowa News

An unprecedented vaccine mandate supported by United States President Joe Biden has been overturned by the United States Supreme Court. For a local connection, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds recently praised the court's decision to overturn the mandate in a press release as well. 

The United States Supreme Court has overturned the vaccine mandate from Biden and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by calling it is an excess of the federal government's power. 

“The SCOTUS ruling on OSHA vaccine mandate is a major victory for Iowans, their personal freedoms and liberties,” Reynolds said in a release from her office.

Reynolds personally endorses vaccine but wants the decision to be left to individuals.

“I believe the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19, but I also firmly believe in Iowans’ right to make health care decisions based on what’s best for themselves and their families, and I remain committed to protecting those freedoms," Reynolds said. "President Biden should do the same.”    

The Supreme Court's ruling was clear in its condemnation of the vaccine mandate as well. 

“Imposing a vaccine mandate on 84 million Americans in response to a worldwide pandemic is simply not 'part of what the agency was built for'," the Supreme Court's ruling said. 

The Supreme Court's ruling also said that the OSHA had the ability under the law to mandate regulations pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic, but a distinction must be made between workplace safety and general public health precautions. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, OSHA had never imposed a broad public health mandate in this fashion.