Wed Nov 3, 2021 – 1:11 pm EDT
IOWA (LifeSiteNews) – Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa signed legislation over the weekend that allows workers to receive unemployment benefits if they are fired for choosing not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, while also expanding medical and religious exemptions.
Signed on October 29, the bill requires employers to waive a vaccine requirement for employees who attest that “receiving the vaccine would be injurious to” their “health and well-being,” or that it “would conflict with the tenets and practices of [their] religion.”
Employees who do not qualify under these two exemptions will receive some financial protection if they are fired via unemployment benefits. Employers will not pay higher unemployment insurance costs for these fired employees.
“I am proud to sign this bipartisan piece of legislation today. This is a major step forward in protecting Iowans’ freedoms and their abilities to make healthcare decisions based on what’s best for themselves and their families,” Reynolds said in a statement. “This legislation also gives employees the assurance that they will still receive unemployment benefits despite being fired for standing up for their beliefs.”
“This is only the first step. We will
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