FILE - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, left, listens as Attorney General Jeff Landry, right, speaks about medicines being donated by drug companies to help the fight against COVID-19 at the Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, April 6, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. A federal appeals court has temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, granted an emergency stay of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4, or face mask requirements and weekly tests. Landry said the court action halts President Biden’s administration from “moving forward with his unlawful overreach.” (Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP, Pool, File)
Appeals court temporarily halts Biden vaccine mandate for larger businesses
By The Associated Press
Bill Feig / AP
FILE - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, left, listens as Attorney General Jeff Landry, right, speaks about medicines being donated by drug companies to help the fight against COVID-19 at the Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, April 6, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. A federal appeals court has temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, granted an emergency stay of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4, or face mask requirements and weekly tests. Landry said the court action halts President Biden’s administration from “moving forward with his unlawful overreach.” (Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP, Pool, File)
(New Orleans) — A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or face mask requirements and weekly tests.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the action stops President Biden “from moving forward with his unlawful overreach.”
“The president will not impose medical procedures on the American people without the checks and balances afforded by the constitution,” said a statement from Landry, a Republican.
At least 27 states filed lawsuits challenging the rule in several circuits, some of which were made more conservative by the judicial appointments of former President Donald Trump.
The Biden administration has been encouraging widespread vaccinations as the quickest way to end the pandemic that has claimed more than 750,000 lives in the United States.
The administration says it is confident that the requirement, which includes penalties of nearly $14,000 per violation, will withstand legal challenges in part because its safety rules pre-empt state laws.
The 5th Circuit, based in New Orleans, said it was delaying the federal vaccine requirement because of potential “grave statutory and constitutional issues” raised by the plaintiffs. The government must provide an expedited reply to the motion for a permanent injunction Monday, followed by petitioners’ reply on Tuesday.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
