Texas in the News Quiz October 18, 2021

Governor Abbott’s Mandate Ban

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage, Governor Greg Abbott has again used his unilateral power to ban any private company in Texas from requiring a vaccine for employees or customers. The Governor had previously banned government agencies, cities, counties, and school districts from requiring vaccines and worked with the legislature to ban businesses from requiring customers to prove they are vaccinated.

The federal government, however, is taking a different tactic—the Biden White House is set to issue a federal executive order to require all employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccines for workers or require a weekly test. Many businesses, including Texas-based American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, announced they’d abide by the President’s mandate.

This conflict again puts Texas at the center of the federal-versus-states’ rights question and continues to polarize the public about how to navigate out of the pandemic. The conflict also creates confusion for businesses, some of whom like hospitals and nursing homes, already required vaccinations and have terminated employees for not complying.

Read the following articles to learn more about the Governor’s order:

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including for private employers
• Texas governor orders ban on private company vaccine mandate
• Former Houston Methodist employees demand their jobs back after Abbott’s vaccine mandate ban