BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislation preventing most private and public entities in Idaho from discriminating against people who haven’t received the coronavirus vaccine cleared a Senate panel on Thursday.
The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee approved the measure that prevents employers from requiring employees get the vaccine or entities requiring visitors or attendees be vaccinated.
Violations would be a misdemeanor punishable with a $1,000 penalty.
Republican Senate President Pro-Tem Chuck Winder said the bill, called the “Coronavirus Pause Act,” finds the right balance.
“The idea here is that any time you make a choice to be vaccinated it's a very personal decision,” said Winder, who is vaccinated against the coronavirus. “It's not something that you should ever take lightly, and it should be a personal choice.”
But opponents said it creates special protections for one group of people and imposes additional regulations on businesses, especially problematic for small businesses. They also said it allows discrimination against those who are vaccinated and doesn't protect vulnerable people who need to know, for example, if an in-home caregiver is vaccinated against coronavirus.
“We are choosing a side here, and we do create a special class here that we are protecting because we don't do anything about these other two classes,” said Democratic Sen. Grant Burgoyne, an attorney.
He also said the proposed law would be the first employment law in Idaho that results in a crime,...
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