The Home Well being Committee handed two payments impressed by conditions that arose out of the covid-19 pandemic.
One, “Ban Any and All Mask Mandates,” would forbid state or native well being officers from instituting necessities for facial coverings.
The other would put into legislation that if employers have vaccine necessities then proof of pure immunity or antibodies would suffice.
These are amongst a number of payments superior by delegates in current days in reaction to health protocols that went into place in the course of the pandemic. This week, committees superior separate payments that might forbid proof-of-vaccination necessities and forbid faculty techniques from instituting masks necessities for college kids or workers.
Over the course of the pandemic, state officers have attributed 6,288 deaths of West Virginia residents to covid-19.
West Virginia is within the backside quarter of states when it comes to the proportion of inhabitants considered fully vaccinated.
Delegate Todd Longanacre, R-Greenbrier, mentioned the various deaths from covid-19 are tragic however he questioned why there’s much less dialogue of the many individuals who’ve recovered.
Addressing the pure immunity invoice, he mentioned, “That is about freedom. That is about adults and their positions, making choices. It will defend workers getting fired within the state of West Virginia once they actually don’t want a vaccine.”
The masks invoice that superior right this moment, HB 4031, was the topic of no dialogue by delegates when it was introduced up because the final invoice in a gathering that lasted on and off from early afternoon into the night.
The opposite invoice superior by the Home Well being Committee, HB 4320, was the topic of prolonged dialogue, together with a primer on how vaccines work by the committee’s chairman, Matthew Rohrbach, who’s a doctor. No different medical consultants or employers testified.
Some members of the committee described utilizing on-line engines like google to seek out research about whether or not a case of infectious illness would go away antibodies with safety as sturdy as a vaccine would possibly present.
The invoice’s lead sponsor, Delegate Kathie Hess Crouse testified earlier than the committee and mentioned a wide range of studying sources had impressed the invoice. “I don’t have the particular research in entrance of me, however I’ve learn that the antibody is simply nearly as good if not higher than the vaccination,” mentioned Crouse, R-Putnam.
Delegate Jim Barach, who was questioning her, hoped for extra grounding. “I’d prefer to see the precise research that introduced this up,” mentioned Barach, D-Kanawha.
Delegate Michael Honaker, R-Greenbrier, mentioned it doesn’t require a medical skilled to resolve these issues.
“I’ll say this: I assist the invoice. No matter place you’ve got on any problem you possibly can Google and discover information and statistics to again up your place,” Honaker mentioned.
“Whether or not you consider the earth is spherical or flat there’s loads of references you could find to assist no matter argument you need to make. That is a kind of arguments.’
Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, questioned the invoice on a number of ranges.
“I’m not going to get down within the weeds on the science of it. I don’t consider that is based mostly on science actually,” he mentioned.
“However that is authorities intervention in non-public enterprise. That’s what this invoice is. That is telling companies what they will and may’t do to maintain their different workers, prospects, shoppers, hold them secure. This isn’t small authorities. That is huge authorities.”
Extra questions arose about what proof would suffice for staff citing pure immunity.
“Now they must show it. What sort of proof have they got to have? Do you’ve got any suggestions or would ?” Delegate Man Ward, R-Marion, requested the committee’s counsel.
There was no particular reply.
