LANSING, MI (WTVB) – State Representative Andrew Fink says the state budget for the fiscal year beginning this Friday includes measures which he says protect personal freedoms related to vaccination and limit overreach from local health officers.
Fink said the plan allows religious and medical exemptions for vaccinations and prevents the state from enforcing a vaccine mandate. The plan also prevents state funds from being used to create a vaccine database.
“In addition to providing the necessary government services that people expect, this plan protects the people of Michigan from government overreach into their private health decisions,” Fink said. “By prohibiting vaccine passports and limiting the powers of local health officers, we are restoring the people’s rights to make their own choices about their well-being.”
According to a statement released by Fink’s office, language in the budget plan also requires enhanced reporting requirements for emergency orders issued by the administration. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will be required to develop reports related to emergency orders involving an epidemic issued during that fiscal year, and the report must include an explanation of the scope of the epidemic and a description of each area of the state that is determined to be threatened by the epidemic.
Fink went on to say the spending plan, which received bipartisan support, shifts MDOT’s $195 million share of federal COVID-19 relief transportation funds to local governments to repair local bridges and it invests heavily in workforce development.
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