Springfield, IL… In response to California’s recent mandate requiring students get a COVID-19 vaccine to receive an in-person education, State Representative Tom Weber (R- Fox Lake) is filing a bill to prevent Governor Pritzker from taking such unilateral action here in Illinois.
“Enacting such a mandate here in Illinois would be a step too far in removing parental choice,” Rep. Weber said. “The decision to vaccinate their child against COVID-19 belongs to parents and guardians, not the Governor.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has thus far only formally approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people ages 16 and older and Pfizer only this week submitted data to the FDA from trials of youths between ages 5-11. Yet today the Governor of California announced that students will be mandated to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it is approved. “Over the last year and a half the Governor has chosen to run this state through Executive Order, overriding the principle of local control and without the legislature’s approval. My bill will prevent him, IDPH, or ISBE from once again taking sole action to mandate such an intrusion into our resident’s freedom to make decisions for themselves and their families.”
Rep. Weber is in the process of drafting the bill and expects it to be filed next week. The legislature returns for the fall veto session on October 19th.