Arizona State Senator Kelly Townsend has filed a 1487 complaint with the Attorney General’s Office to investigate whether Pima County has run afoul of Arizona law in connection with a mandate that requires all unvaccinated employees working with vulnerable populations to get the jab or lose their jobs.
Specifically, Townsend asked the Attorney General’s Office whether the “Memorandums issued by Pima County titled “FAQ Regarding Mandatory Vaccinations for New Hires, Promotions and Employees Working with Vulnerable Populations” on November 8, 2021 and “Process for Off-Board Unvaccinated Staff who work with Vulnerable Populations” on December 7, 2021 violate ARS 23-206 or Governor’s Executive Order 2021-18?
In a 4-1 vote, the Board of Supervisors approved a staff recommendation that all County departments “draft their Notices of Intent to Involuntarily Terminate,” employees who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccination. Supervisor Steve Christy was the lone vote against the ultimatum.
“I spoke at the press conference two days ago on behalf of Arizona workers who are facing termination due to vaccine mandates. We held a private meeting at the Senate to listen to the problems our first responders are dealing with on a daily basis,” said Townsend; “Following that meeting, we held a press conference and the public participated in a march to City Hall.”
“Between the pressure we put on the City of Phoenix and the federal court ruling that halted the mandates nationwide, the city rightfully paused the implementation of the federal mandate requiring city workers to be vaccinated by January 18, 2022,” continued Townsend.
“However, there are entities that are not complying with the federal court ruling and are putting Arizonans in danger.” alleged Townsend. “I am asking the Office of the Attorney General to investigate the decision by Pima County Supervisors to fire unvaccinated correctional officers, or any staff for that matter, without honoring their right to a religious exemption, as per A.R.S.23-206.”
“This is a new level of tyranny that we have not seen in this state.” concluded Townsend. “I will not stand for this, and neither will my colleagues. We stand ready to push back and restore sanity to Arizona. I expect a fast response from the Attorney General’s Office and am calling on all Arizonans to join our effort in fighting for our freedoms, now.”
County sources say the Board of Supervisors put the Sheriff’s Office “between a rock and a hard spot,” with the “politically correct stunt.”
There have been erroneous reports that the Sheriff’s Office would need to release inmates based on a memo by interim County Administrator Jan Lesher dated December 6, 2021. In that memo, Lesher writes that the mandate could lead to the need to reduce the jail population.
Those sources say that the Sheriff’s Office cannot simply release inmates due to the expected loss of hundreds of correctional officers who refuse the vaccination. The more likely scenario involves notifying law enforcement officers in the area of reduced capacity and suggesting that first-time offenders be cited and released.
However, a potential loss of correctional officers, who are already hard to come by, could lead to a greater loss of access to services for inmates, and critics say that the potential loss of access to services does far more damage to inmates than exposure to unvaccinated officers.