Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick and Ruben Gallego joined several colleagues to introduce the Let Our Cities And Local businesses Help Employees Achieve Long-Term Health Act (LOCAL HEALTH) Act.
This bill aims to protect the ability of local governments, agencies, and private businesses to implement public health and safety measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. This includes requirements such as social distancing, masks, vaccination, and testing.
Kirkpatrick emphasized the need to use science to drive decision making, stating, “The only way we are going to recover from this pandemic is by implementing smart and science-driven mitigation efforts, which is exactly what so many of our local communities have had to step up and do. With Arizona top of mind, this legislation is especially personal and important, and I am proud to support a bill that affirms the right of public and private employers to be leaders on COVID-19 mitigation efforts.”
Rep. Gallego pointed out the need to keep politics out of health guidance.
Gallego commented, “Arizona is still very much in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we need to make sure that schools, businesses, and local governments feel empowered to protect themselves, their employees, and their constituents.
“Governor Ducey’s record of political grandstanding against public health guidance only hurts Arizonans’ health and economic wellbeing. Arizonans can’t afford for our state to keep playing politics with a pandemic. That’s why I’m proud to be a leader on the LOCAL HEALTH Act to give school districts, local governments, and businesses the protection they need to keep people healthy and help end this pandemic.”
Lois Frankel commented on how some governors are politicizing the health of their citizens.
“We should not just stand by and let Governors put politics over the health and safety of our communities by restricting critical tools like vaccines and masks,” Frankel stated. “Local governments, agencies, and private businesses in our communities that want to follow CDC guidelines should be supported not punished. This bill would protect them from dangerous state overreach that we’ve been seeing across the country, including in my home state of Florida.”
Charlie Christ criticized Florida Governor Ron Desantis, arguing that he is trying to take decision making away from local governments.
“It’s simple. If a business wants to say no shirt, no shoes, no vax, no service – they should be able to. If a parent or local school board wants to follow expert advice to keep children safe, healthy, and in school – they should be able to,” stated Rep. Christ. “No Governor should defund our public schools just because parents and school boards are doing what they can to keep schools open and safe. Why does Governor DeSantis think he knows better than Florida parents and the school boards they elect? It’s about respect. I’m proud to support legislation that keeps local decision-making where it belongs: locally. We’re here to give school boards, parents, and business owners back their power that Governor DeSantis is taking away.”
The LOCAL HEALTH Act would supersede any state law that limits local governments, agencies, and private businesses from implementing safety precautions. The bill makes it clear that employers may take measures to protect employees and patrons from COVID-19 including through vaccine and masking requirements.
Other legislators who cosponsored the bill include Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Ted Deutch (FL-22), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Darren Soto (FL-09), and Marc Veasey (TX-33).
