In a disappointing turn of events, the Iowa House has decided to rework the Medical Freedom & Privacy Act while also adding it to an omnibus bill that includes issues that have nothing to do with medical freedom and privacy. The issue’s biggest champions are now the loudest critics of the bill.
The revamped bill makes this portion of the omnibus bill related strictly to COVID-19. It also does not prevent an employer from inquiring about someone’s vaccination status or prevent them from keeping a record of vaccination status.
Stories are being shared across the state of businesses requiring additional vaccines from the CDC schedule for adults. This revamped bill provides zero protections from future vaccines or current ones — except for COVID. And again, it is debatable whether it protects employees.
Employer liability for injury from the vaccine was also removed from the revamped bill. There is a fine for employers who fire an individual based on their vaccination status, but there is no protection regarding injury.
In addition, the portion of the original bill that prevented incentives for vaccinations was stripped out as well.
There are many more details worth pointing out. Our friends at Informed Choice Iowa discussed the revamped bill in a Facebook Live last night. You can watch that below.
Ultimately, Iowans have been hoodwinked once again when it comes to their medical freedom and privacy. If the bill passes — IF — Republicans will again try to appear as though they did something in relation to medical freedom and privacy when in reality they delivered mostly a nothingburger.
And, if history is any indicator, it may prove that a true medical freedom and privacy bill proves to be an impossibleburger. Because if they’re not going to do it now with a 60-40 majority in the Iowa House AFTER the last two years, they’re never going to do it.
Does Governor Reynolds have a say in this? Will she step in? Can she step in?
Thanks for laying out what is really happening: nothingburger. Obviously those supporting this still have their jobs, no one forced them to get the jab to keep their job. No one had their religious exemptions ignored. No one has been vaccine injured with no recourse for liability as they face years of disability or death or worse. No one had their medical privacy trampled. I AM SO SICK of people that have not been touched by any of this injustice, being the ones making laws that affect the lowly voters. Keep in mind, the lowly voters and we will! And we remember. Such a spineless group. Ashamed of a Republican majority that can’t get anything accomplished FOR THE BENEFIT of your constituents.