COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – A bill up for consideration in Columbia this week is raising concerns that, if passed, it could tarnish South Carolina's pro-business reputation and cost the state jobs. is causing it.
These are the concerns of South Carolina business leaders.
But supporters say their goal is to protect workers.
The bill, known as the Health Care Freedom Act, has drawn harsh criticism from South Carolina leaders, including the governor, who say it threatens to paralyze the state's response to public health emergencies.
Now, another part of the bill faces significant opposition from another group: South Carolina's business community.
Bob Morgan of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce testified that businesses are concerned about potential job losses as a result of the bill moving forward in the Senate.
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The bill would prohibit private employers from requiring workers to receive new vaccines or gene treatments, and would also result in fines and prison terms for non-compliance.
“We think it's best not to talk about the risks that businesses would take if the state came to South Carolina,” Morgan said.
The director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control told senators the bill would also prohibit hospitals and health care facilities from requiring annual flu shots for their employees. That's because it could be considered a new vaccine.
“We have employee rights, but we also have to balance that with the employer's (Prisma and nursing home) responsibility to protect patients,” said Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews, D-Colleton. .
Supporters of the bill say they don't want South Carolina workers to have to choose between a jab or a job.
“Personally, I don't think people who are living paycheck to paycheck should be put in a situation where they're like, 'If I don't do this, I won't be able to pay my mortgage,'” Sen said. .Richard Cash, R-Anderson.
And they argue that these obligations affect workers beyond the job.
“They're going to tell you something between 7 to 5, 7 to 7, 9 to 4, whatever the time is. Because you're being mandated to take a new, unproven vaccine. As soon as you take it, you're on that vaccine for the rest of your life,” said Sen. Shane Martin (R-Spartanburg), the bill's lead sponsor.
But Morgan argues that lawmakers should defer business decisions to companies.
“Nobody has a more important issue in ensuring the health and safety of their employees,” he said. “Let them decide.”
Most recently, the bill moved out of committee and onto the Senate floor, where it faced resistance.
It remains to be seen whether its opponents will block debate on the bill, or whether there is enough support among the Republican majority to spark debate.
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