Oklahoma governor, attorney general blast vaccine mandate

(AP) Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Attorney General John O’Connor on Thursday blasted President Joe Biden’s pending vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees.

“This action is not just federal overreach; it’s unconstitutional,” Stitt, who has been vaccinated, said in a video statement. “Getting the vaccine is a personal choice.”

O’Connor urged state employers to disregard the Biden Administration’s efforts to implement a mandate.

“In the event federal emergency rules are issued that place such an unlawful demand upon employers, our office will be joined by other state attorneys general across the country to quickly sue and seek an injunction against any implementation or enforcement” of a mandate, O’Connor said in a statement.

Biden has issued a federal vaccine mandate on businesses with 100 or more employees to be implemented in the coming weeks.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported Thursday the seven-day rolling average of 1,194 new cases daily, down from 2,806 per day in late August.

However, Dr. Dale Bratzler, the University of Oklahoma COVID response chief, said the state records about 31 new cases daily per 100,000 population. That is 10 times more than in early June when new daily cases fell to three per capita.