OKLAHOMA CITY – A state House bill that would have prohibited government entities from requiring vaccines is considered dead after Senate leaders refused to schedule a hearing for the measure.
The proposed legislation, authored by Rep. Jay Steagall (R-Yukon), passed the House 72-15, but did not get the required hearing in the Senate. State Senator and Majority Floor Leader Kim David (R-Porter) decided not to schedule a hearing for the bill. David did not return a telephone call for comment.
However, Steagall had plenty to say about the bill and his reasons for bringing it up.
“I still have constituents very concerned about forced vaccines by governments at all levels,” he said. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility because of the mask mandate. There are no forced vaccinations right now, but it would pre-empt anything that might come up whether at the city, county or state levels.”
At the school district level, parents are forced to obtain waivers so their children are not compelled to get vaccinated for childhood diseases in order to attend classes.
“There are thousands of Oklahomans just as concerned as I am about forced vaccinations,” Steagall said. “We take pre-emptive measures at the state level all the time. A problem doesn’t necessarily exist at the time, but we pass laws to deal with something that might occur in the future.”
Steagall emphasized municipalities implemented mask mandates, not the state or federal government.
The two-term state representative said he’s unsure why David declined to hear the vaccine bill, but acknowledged he plans to refile the measure for the 2022 session.
“She pumped the brakes on it,” Steagall said. “I wish it had been given the opportunity (to be heard).”
Steagall compared his bill to the annual recommendations from the state health department during flu season.
“Every year, it’s suggested people get the flu vaccine, but it’s not required,” he said. “This bill would simply prohibit forced vaccines, but still allow those recommendations. I think COVID highlighted the situation. But what happens if those recommendations go too far? Are we going to deny access to government buildings or sporting events if people don’t have the vaccines?”
Ekklesia of Oklahoma, an ultra-conservative abolitionist group, wanted a hearing on House Bill 2335. The group, founded by Daniel Navejas and Kyle Brown, urged their Facebook followers to call David so a hearing could be scheduled.
“No one wants to be forced to take an experimental vaccine!” the website states.