TN Lawmakers To Vote On COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Republican lawmakers in Tennessee could be voting as soon as the week’s end on whether to ban most businesses from solely requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for their customers and workers. The GOP-controlled General Assembly could also severely limit when companies and government entities — including schools — can require masks amid the pandemic. Lawmakers on Thursday quickly advanced the measure carrying the prohibitions, despite growing opposition from the business community. The bill carries additional wide-ranging implications, including an assurance that those fired due to resisting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate can receive unemployment benefits.