Gainesville Commissioners Vote to ‘Reconsider’ City Vaccine Mandate

City commissioners of Gainesville, Florida, voted on Thursday to “reconsider” the city’s vaccine mandate, one day after a judge granted a temporary injunction against the rule.

Commissioner David Arreola introduced the motion to reconsider the mandate after weeks of criticisms, protests, and ultimately, a lawsuit on behalf of 200 city employees.

The commissioner cited a “plan that’s more in line with the guidance that President Biden’s administration has put out, which is to require people to choose either vaccination or some other reasonable alternative.”

“And so that’s the approach I want to take. I think now we need to take the temperature down a little bit and really get back to working with our unions,” he said.

According to WCJB:

Arreola made the motion asking his colleagues to reconsider their early August vote enacting the vaccine mandate for city employees. Seconded by Gail Johnson, the motion also asks charter officers to work with union reps in creating a vaccine plan for employees that aligns with President Biden’s OSHA order. It requires private employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccines or enforce weekly testing. The motion passed with Adrian Hayes-Santos in dissent.

“Well they’ve been heard loud and clear,” he said of protesters. Ultimately, the commission voted in favor of reconsideration 6-1.

Biden’s forthcoming controversial rule will require all employers with over 100 or more employees to either mandate vaccines or implement weekly testing.

However, the vote came one day after Alachua Civil Circuit Judge Monica Brasington granted the injunction against the city’s vaccine mandate.

Jeff Childers, the lead attorney for the city’s employees, said:

The strongest argument we have is the Florida constitution’s strong right to privacy, which includes a right to complete bodily autonomy and a right to refuse unwanted medical procedures, so that the city of Gainesville cannot treat its employees’ bodies like property,”

As Breitbart News detailed:

A lawsuit, on behalf of roughly 200 city employees, was subsequently filed by the city on August 26. On September 13, during Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) Newberry press conference centered around the illegality of vaccine mandates, the governor revealed Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) filed an amicus brief with the court, supporting the city employees challenging the intrusive mandate.