CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Governor Jim Justice calls their cause “almost comical” but two Wood County legislators hope at least 1,000 people show up to emphasize their support for vaccine freedom.
State Senator Mike Azinger and Delegate Roger Conley, both Wood County Republicans, have scheduled their next rally for noon, Saturday, October 2 at the state capitol.
This meeting will be called the “VAX Rally of 1,000,” indicating the organizer’s belief that at least 1,000 people will attend.
Earlier, Justice called attempts by legislators to call a special session to oppose mask mandates “almost comical.”
Conley responded on social media telling the Governor there is nothing funny about attempts to order mandatory face masking because of the Covid pandemic.
Some legislators want to stop the Republican Governor before he issues any new mask requirements. There remains a raging national debate over the effectiveness of masks in fighting Covid.
During a recent Covid press conference, Justice said he is not in favor of having a special session and doesn’t support efforts to “make mandates against mandates.”
In late August, Conley posted on his personal Facebook page saying he had submitted two bills to the legislature.
“The first bill will be to ban all mask mandates all across the state making this a personal choice. Period,” the Wood delegate wrote. “My second bill will be to ban all mandated Covid-19 and variants of vaccines all across the state. No to vaccine passports and yes to a vaccine bill of rights. Vaccines also need to be a personal choice. Hopefully, we can get these bills to the floor for a vote. I will need your help.”
Justice responded in his comments, “I would not support that type of legislation. The reason that I wouldn’t is that I believe just this. We’re talking about intervening in businesses’ business. We’re talking about putting a mandate that a business — a private business — couldn’t decide on their own what they wanted to do.”
Traditionally, Republicans don’t believe in telling private businesses what to do, the Governor said.
“If XYZ Company out there decides in their mind that they want all their employees vaccinated — and it’s the private businesses’ decision to do that — more power to them,” he said.
Senator Azinger attended the January 6 Washington, D.C., rally that resulted in numerous arrests. He sent a letter last week calling for a special session for “mask freedom.”
The Governor can call special sessions on his own. Three-fifths of the members of each house of the legislature can demand he call such a session. That would be 21 members of the Senate and 60 of the delegates.
Democrats, who generally favor pandemic mandates, have voiced opposition to a special session.