COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s Attorney General says he is ‘glad’ with a Louisiana federal court ruling Saturday to temporarily freeze President Joe Biden’s vaccination requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers. The mandate was set to go into effect on Jan. 4.
“We're very excited,” Yost told 10TV. “This shows the court acted very quickly, it shows that our arguments are very plain and obvious and that the court agrees with that there are serious questions about the constitutionality and legal propriety of this vaccine mandate.”
Yost reiterated that he is not against vaccines but is concerned with government overreach.
“I'm vaccinated, I had the disease first. Even though I had natural antibodies, I got the vaccination, encouraged people to consult with their doctors and act in their own best interest,” said Yost. “But I took the vaccine, I think that most of us probably ought to. The thing is that the President does not get to rule by edict and doesn't get to take up the law writing responsibilities of Congress.”
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans 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.
The government must provide an expedited reply to the motion for a permanent injunction Monday, followed by the petitioners' reply on Tuesday.
‘Then the court will have an additional decision to make, whether to lift the stay, modify it, or retain it,” said Yost. “This is only one of the multiple lawsuits around the country. So there are more chapters to be written in this book. But I like the first chapter.”
Yost announced Friday he joined six other attorneys general in suing the Biden administration over the vaccine mandate. He argued that the Occupation Safety and Health Administration does not have the authority to force millions of Americans working for private businesses to get vaccinated against COVID-19.