ACTION ALERT: Please Ask Montgomery County County Councilmembers to OPPOSE Expedited Bill 34-21, Personnel and Human Resources – Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
TEXT OF Expedited Bill 34-21, Personnel and Human Resources – Covid-19 Vaccination Required:
Expedited Bill 34-21 would:(1) require the vaccination of County employees against Covid-19;(2) permit medical accommodations to the Covid-19 vaccination requirements;(3) exempt the Covid-19 vaccination requirements from collective bargaining; and(4) generally amend the County personnel and human resources law.
“Procedurally, an employee who fails to provide proof of vaccination (or to apply for a medical accommodation), within 7 days of notification from the County, would be placed on unpaid leave. The employee placed on leave would have 7 leave days in which to provide proof to the County that the employee has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The employee would have to provide proof of full vaccination within 40 days of having been placed on unpaid leave. ultimately, an employee who fails to fulfill the vaccination requirement (or to secure a medical accommodation) after having been placed on leave would be subject to dismissal from Country employment.”
WHY ICM OPPOSES EXPEDITED BILL 34-21
- This bill circumvents the ability to exercise religious rights as supported by Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- If there is no undue hardship in permitting medical accommodations, it is discriminatory not to permit religious accommodations.
- There is no scientific or rational basis to require vaccination for workplace safety when Covid-19 vaccines do not prevent transmission or infection with SARS CoV-2; however there is increasing scientific evidence that prior infection and recovery from Covid-19 confers robust, lasting protection against both infection and disease which is more effective than vaccine protection against disease.
- There is ample evidence of risks associated with Covid-19 vaccines, as acknowledged by the CDC, to warrant accommodating employees with the option to periodically test for Covid-19.
WHO TO CONTACT ABOUT EXPEDITED BILL 34-21
There is a public hearing tentatively scheduled for Expedited Bill 34-21 on 10/19/21 at 1:30 PM. A joint work session between the Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee and the Health & Human Services Committee will be scheduled for a future date and should also be open to the public.
URGENT: We’re asking all members to call and email lead sponsor Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Will Jawando and the members of the Montgomery County Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee and the Montgomery County Health & Human Services Committee, and let them know, in your own words, why you oppose Expedited Bill 34-21.
Bill Lead Sponsors:
Councilmember Hans Riemer
Phone 240-777-7964
e-mail: Councilmember.Riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov
Councilmember Will Jawando
Phone 240-777-7811
e-mail: Councilmember.Jawando@montgomerycountymd.gov
If you’re a resident, employee or parent in Montgomery County – let them know!
Please copy and paste the following email addresses of the Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee members into the BCC section of your email in opposition of Expedited Bill 34-21:
Please call the offices of the Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee members in opposition of Expedited Bill 34-21:
Albornoz, Gabe 240-777-7959
Friedson, Andrew 240-777-7828
Glass, Evan 240-777-7966
Katz, Sidney 240-777-7906
Navarro, Nancy 240-777-7968
Rice, Craig 240-777-7955
Please spread the word! Let’s flood the offices of Councilmembers Riemer and Jawando and the HG and HHS committee members with polite, respectful, forceful emails and phone calls. They need to hear our voices!
Please consider joining ICM’s free Telegram group where you’ll find like minds instead of arguments, as well as helpful resources for navigating vaccine data, mandates, exemptions and more.