Rehder joins formal call for special session on Biden vaccine mandate

Count state Sen. Holly Rehder of Scott City (R-27) among those in opposition to the Biden administration's COVID vaccine mandate.

Rehder is a signatory — along with 15 of her Senate Republican colleagues — to a letter sent to Gov. Mike Parson asking a special General Assembly session be called to prevent the mandate from taking effect in Missouri.

"I am not against the vaccine but (receiving) it is and should remain a personal choice," said Rehder, who took her seat succeeding Wayne Wallingford in the legislature's upper chamber in January.

"This is America, and we are still the land of the free. The government overreach is atrocious, and we will do all we can to stop it," she added.

State Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater (R-146), who contracted COVID in November, also is opposed to the Biden mandate.

"(Vaccination) should be a personal choice in consultation with a physician," said Hovis, adding he has not been inoculated for COVID but is considering receiving a vaccine dose.

"I want an antibody test first," he added, noting he was ill for two weeks around Thanksgiving with a fever and fatigue.

The mandate

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced a plan for employers with at least 100 workers to require their employees to be inoculated against COVID-19 or, as an alternative, submit weekly negative test results.

The move is expected to impact 80 million people nationwide.

Additionally, all federal employees and contractors doing business with the federal government will not have the weekly testing option -- they must be vaccinated, according to Biden.

Parson's office is promising a legal fight over the mandate, in a statement released Friday afternoon by his office.

"This assault on individual liberty and free enterprise is a poorly executed attempt by the Biden administration to reset after its disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan," Parson said. "With our southern border in crisis and as we are experiencing out-of-control inflation, President Biden is desperate to divert attention from his failures. However, Missouri will not be a pawn in this publicity stunt that seeks to force Missourians to disclose private health care decisions and dictate private business operations," the statement continued.

Veto session

State lawmakers return to Jefferson City on Wednesday for the legislature's annual veto session. Parson vetoed four measures in the last legislative session and also rejected several line items in appropriations bills.

State Rep. Rick Francis of Perryville (R-145) said Monday he does not anticipate legislators will override any of Parson's vetoes.

"One of the governor's overrides was my bill on uninsured motorists," Francis said. "I would have vetoed it, too, after the amendment the (state) senate put on it."

State Rep. Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau (R-147) said he has not heard any discussion about overrides but said the House GOP caucus will meet today to talk over any potential plan from colleagues to do so.

Freshman Rep. Jamie Burger of Benton (R-148) said he plans a review today of Parson's vetoes.