AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER SID MILLER REPEATS CALL FOR 4TH SPECIAL SESSION TO PROTECT JOBS & SMALL BUSINESS FROM COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATES (12/6/2021)

AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller reiterated his call for a fourth special legislative session to extend protections to Texas workers from COVID-19 requirements mandated by the federal government or public or private employers. Miller is urging the State to use excess COVID-19 federal funding to set up a relief fund for workers and small businesses who become victims of this excessive overreach in a letter sent to Texas Governor Greg Abbott over the past weekend.

“On November 4th, I publicly called for a fourth special session to last only four days to address the Biden vaccine mandate. In the past month the hysteria has grown worse. The absurd reaction to the latest COVID-19 variant by the federal government and other governmental entities requires us to protect the rights, liberties, and jobs of our fellow Texans,” Miller said.

“Texas farmers and ranchers, as well as rural and small-town Texans, who depend on the agricultural economy for a living can ill afford another lockdown. Many are on the brink of financial ruin when their communities were barely affected by COVID-19. Supply chain interruptions are already causing problems with food availability in our grocery stores and are impacting our school nutritional programs,” Miller said.

Miller also urged in his letter to the Governor that the Legislature should address additional items they failed to address and pass into law during the regular and three subsequent Special sessions.

“Other conservative priorities including, but not limited to, restoring tougher penalties for election crimes, preventing gender modification of our youth, school choice, and support for our home school families are also issues that the Legislature must address now and not delay until 2023,” Miller stated.

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