GOP Gov. Greg Abbott Tells Texas Business Owners How To Do Their Business

Time was Republicans frowned upon this kind of behavior.

Good morning to everyone except Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott, who has just banned vaccine mandates for all entities in Texas , even private businesses that definitely should not be his personal fucking business.

Abbott was alive and healthy to do this presumably at least in part because he's fully vaccinated, so when he got COVID in August, it didn't kill him.

The order states that "no entity in Texas" can enforce vaccination against anyone in the state who objects "for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19," according to a news release from the governor's office.

Again, we marvel at all these white Republicans who have apparently become Christian Scientists during the pandemic, and thus must register their religious objections to the vaccine. Who knew that church had such a recruiting drive going?

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Abbott said in a statement.

Abbott also called on the Texas state Legislature to pass a law with the same effect. The executive order would be rescinded upon the passage of such legislation, the governor's office said.

Great. Texas Republicans gonna make sure every pregnancy is forced to continue until completion, but as usual don't seem to care about the continued life and health of anyone that's already been born.

The order specifically states that this applies to employees AND consumers, in case you thought private establishments had the right to choose to require vaccination from their customers. As the Texas Tribune explains, that was already banned by state law. However, as of August, Abbott was against telling businesses what they are and are not allowed to require from their own employees. Indeed, a spokesperson for Abbott said that month that "Private businesses don't need government running their business." So that is the part that they are calling a very big flip-flop from Abbott.

Many of the sources we're reading this morning are saying it appears Abbott is only doing this because this charmer right here is primary-ing Abbott from the right in advance of next year's election, therefore Abbott is desperately trying to prove he's the biggest wingnut in the race:

Greg Abbott is a political windsock and today proves it. He knows which the way the wind is blowing. He knows cons… https: //t.co/AlgbGKKCn4

— Don Huffines (@Don Huffines) 1633992876.0 

More from the Texas Tribune on the current state of play in Texas:

COVID-19 vaccine requirements by government agencies, cities, counties and school districts were already banned by a previous executive order — which is currently being fought in court by the San Antonio Independent School District. The Legislature also already passed into law a ban on so-called vaccine passports — which would allow businesses to require proof of vaccination from customers.

The latest move appears to be at least partly motivated by President Joe Biden's actions i n September that require all employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccines for workers or test weekly for the virus. Biden also required all federal government workers and contractors to get vaccinated, leading nearly all the major airlines — including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines headquartered in Texas — to announce they'd abide by the mandate .

"In yet another instance of federal government overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas's continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster," Abbott said in his order.

Such tough, so very big man, making Texas unsafe and undesirable to own the libs, you betcha.

Texas is approximately 52 percent vaccinated, per the latest numbers, which means it's doing better than many southern and western red states, but not much. Texas's numbers of new cases and deaths are going down, but we doubt anyone will be surprised if they start going up again, especially with such stellar political leaders so clearly concerned about their constituents' welfare.

Anyway, now back to Texas's regularly scheduled programming of firin' guns in the air like "pew! pew!" and bounty-huntin' all the abortion-havers, right, boys?

[ CNN / Texas Tribune ]

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