KOCO:
Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, said he’s trying to protect people who want to work but don’t want to be forced into getting the vaccine.
“The individual right is always paramount or at least it should be in our system of government. Whether you’re looking at the Declaration (of Independence) or the Constitution, individual rights are paramount,” Dahm said.
Senate Bill 1157 passed out of committee on Thursday, with eight votes in favor and four against. The bill, which now makes its way to the Senate floor, allows a person to collect unemployment benefits after they’re fired or placed on unpaid leave because of a vaccine mandate.
Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, was one of two Republicans on the committee to vote against the bill.
“I do not agree with private businesses mandating vaccines, but I also don’t agree with state government telling businesses how to operate. Businesses are free to have bad decisions, to make bad decisions,” he said.