The People, LLC (TPL) does not apologize for working (on our own time and our own dime) to protect the God-given rights of the citizens of Louisiana. We have been attacked year after year for taking a stand against government overreach. As citizens, it is our duty to do our due diligence and hold our elected officials accountable. While we appreciate the effort of those attempting to get HB498 passed, we see the unintended consequences that must be addressed.
We do hold Rep Edmonston responsible, however. As an elected representative, she is responsible for protecting our rights. It is her duty. If there is even a slim possibility that a bill will have an ill effect on the rights of the citizens, then that bill must be discarded.
Louisiana Families deserve more than spin from Rep. Edmonston.
Here we address each of the points made by HFL:
HFL: HB498 prohibits discrimination until the shots are given full FDA approval, but does not in any way ALLOW or promote discrimination at the point.
TPL:
- The verbiage of the bill is clear:
- NO OFFICIAL, governing authority, or agency of the state or of any political subdivision of the state
- SHALL distinguish between individuals
- UNTIL the date that the application for use of such a vaccine has been approved
HFL: HB498 does NOT amend existing exemption law - RS 17:170(E), rather it prohibits LDH from adding the shots to the schedule PRIOR to FDA approval, as the LSU Faculty Council petitioned them to do.
TPL:
- HB 498 convolutes the law by allowing schools to distinguish between vaxxed and unvaxxed after the date that the FDA approves the vaccines
- If LDH were to add the shots to the schedule, even before FDA approval, current law protects the individual’s right to dissent.
HFL: HB498 prohibits the state from distinguishing between a vaxxed and unvaxxed person, thereby eliminating masks mandates for unvaxxed persons in public schools and universities.
TPL:
- HB 498 does nothing to eliminate Mask Mandates for All. The schools and universities can get around this by requiring all to wear masks.
HFL: Without HB498, LSU Preschool can ask that children as young as two be masked. That is a discriminatory action.
TPL:
- HB 498 does nothing to preventing all children from being masked – it only prohibits the school from distinguishing between vaxxed and unvaxxed UNTIL the FDA approves the vaccine
HFL: While I appreciate and cite existing federal law governing EUA’s which explicitly provides an individual’s right to refuse, 117 employees at Houston Memorial hospital were not protected by that law.
TPL:
- The temporary protection afforded by HB 498 does not apply to licensed healthcare facilities.
- "C. The prohibition of Subsection A of this Section does not apply to:
(1) The provision of medical services in a licensed healthcare facility."
- "C. The prohibition of Subsection A of this Section does not apply to: