If this bill becomes law, Rhode Islanders who decline to get these vaccines will face serious economic penalties. In addition to a $50 per month surcharge, the unvaccinated would also see their income taxes double.
The lawmaker behind this bill, Sen. Samuel W. Bell, doesn’t see this as overreaching or too much; he thinks it’s appropriate, citing struggles faced by immunocompromised folks.
Any person seeking an exemption from the mandate can only do so for medical reasons. A medical exemption will only count if three doctors sign off on it.
However, the science doesn’t support the premise behind such a mandate. The reality that COVID vaccines don’t stop the virus from infecting people or spreading works against arguments for vaccine mandates in general.
Pushback from Republicans in Rhode Island
As many people might imagine, the Rhode Island GOP is hard at work to block this bill.
GOP Sen. Jessica de la Cruz slammed S2552 as unconscionable, dangerous, and a form of overreach. The Republican lawmaker likewise warned that Bell’s legislation sends a message that government doesn’t trust people to make their own healthcare choices.
