Comfortably nestled between Abilene and Midland along Interstate 20, Big Spring is home to almost 30,000 Texans, a beautiful state park, and a historic natural spring.
Now, a new executive order by the city’s mayor declares it a sanctuary city for those who would otherwise be forced to get vaccinated.
In his executive order, Mayor Shannon Thomason implements a fine of $500 for entities of the city and businesses in the city limits that do not repeal their existing vaccine requirements. The order also implements a $2,000 fine for businesses that intentionally implement vaccine requirements going forward. Furthermore, Mayor Thomason’s order blames the CDC for placing political appearances over the well-being of citizens:
The United States Center for Disease Control recently changed their definition of “vaccination” from “the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease” to “the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection to a specific disease.” This change in definition by the CDC was not based on science, but was a response to political pressure.
Thomason’s order places a heavy emphasis on the importance of personal liberty and Texans’ ability to make their own medical decisions:
The City of Big Spring encourages all of its citizens to make informed decisions regarding their personal health, and encourages everyone to be vaccinated for COVID-19, if they so choose. However, the City will also continue to stand for and protect the rights of those who choose not to.
“When big government forgets about the rights of the people, it falls to local governments to take a stand,” said Thomason in a statement to Texas Scorecard.
In his executive order, Mayor Thomason cites Gov. Greg Abbott’s previous executive order, which levies a $1,000 fine against businesses for mandating vaccines.
That state order, however, has largely been ignored by businesses.
Big Spring’s executive order can be viewed here.
