While Gov. Greg Abbott continues to dig his heels in on his refusal to call lawmakers back to Austin for a special session to ban COVID vaccine mandates, the Republican Party of Texas is amplifying their call for action.
In an email sent to Texas Republicans on Thursday, Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi called for a four-day fourth special session to “ban vaccine mandates for good,” citing the rapid speed at which other states are tackling the topic.
“Tennessee has already completed a three-day session to address mandates, and Florida is calling a five-day session later this month. Texas must help lead the way,” Rinaldi said.
“We know our elected officials are tired of being in Austin, but there is no reason why the Texas Legislature can’t get this done in as little as four days.”
In their call to action, the party is asking supporters to contact their state legislators and urge them to release a public statement supporting a four-day fourth special session to ban vaccine mandates.
The call was immediately responded to by newly sworn-in State Rep. Brian Harrison (R–Midlothian), who noted that an executive order against vaccine mandates issued by Gov. Abbott several weeks ago was “unlikely to fully protect” Texans and is “already being disregarded.”
Biden's mandate is here. Sadly, there is no vaccine against tyranny. I respectfully ask @GovAbbott to call #txlege back immediately. Liberty is at stake and Texas should be leading the fight. Full statement: pic.twitter.com/Bmc6H8NJ3M
— Brian Harrison (@brianeharrison) November 4, 2021
That call was also followed up by a post from the Texas Freedom Caucus, who noted they fully support a fourth special session.
Millions of Texans are having their jobs threatened by Biden's tyrannical vaccine mandates. The Legislature must act to protect people's freedoms and jobs, and we fully support a 4th Special Session!
Let's get it done! #txlege https://t.co/5TL8eKKm4X
— Texas Freedom Caucus (@TxFreedomCaucus) November 4, 2021
Gov. Abbott has thus far said there is “no need” for lawmakers to return, stating his executive order seeking to ban vaccine mandates is sufficient. State Rep. Steve Toth (R–The Woodlands), who is a member of the Freedom Caucus, has said that the issue of banning vaccine mandates has “no support” from the governor.
