Supreme Court Spurns Effort to Roll Back Vaccine Mandate in New York

December 13, 2021 by Dan McCue
Supreme Court Spurns Effort to Roll Back Vaccine Mandate in New York
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch at the National Archives. (Screen grab by Dan McCue)

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected two emergency requests from health care workers who claimed New York State’s vaccine mandate unfairly refuses to exempt those with religious concerns.

In the underlying complaint, three nurses and a group called We the Patriots USA argued the New York State mandate was flawed because it allows for exemption for those with medical objections to getting vaccinated, but not for those who object on religious grounds.

The rule applies to workers in hospitals and nursing homes, home health agencies, adult centers and hospices.

Generally speaking, the justices have seemed inclined this term to allow state mandates to go forward, but Justice Neil Gorsuch said in a dissent filed Monday that he believes the majority got it wrong in this case.



Among other things, Gorsuch noted that New York had revised its mandate to accommodate medical exemptions.

“Even if one were to read the State’s actions as something other than signs of animus, they leave little doubt that the revised mandate was specifically directed at the applicants’ unorthodox religious beliefs and practices,” Gorsuch wrote.


Most other states, he added, have “found that it can satisfy its COVID-19 public health goals without coercing religious objectors to accept a vaccine.”

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Supreme Court

Supreme Court Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion for women's rights whose death ahead of the 2020 election allowed the... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion for women's rights whose death ahead of the 2020 election allowed the Supreme Court to become more conservative, will be remembered during ceremonies Friday at the high court. Ginsburg, who served as a justice for 27 years and... Read More

February 28, 2023
by Tom Ramstack
Supreme Court Reviews Biden Plan to Forgive $400B in Student Debt 

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority showed skepticism during a hearing Tuesday of the Biden administration’s authority to forgive... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority showed skepticism during a hearing Tuesday of the Biden administration’s authority to forgive more than $400 billion in student debt. The Education Department is invoking the national emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate as much as $20,000... Read More

February 27, 2023
by Dan McCue
Supreme Court Holds Oil Rig Supervisor Paid $200K Owed Overtime

WASHINGTON — An oil rig supervisor who earned as much as $248,000 a year working for Houston, Texas-based Helix Energy... Read More

WASHINGTON — An oil rig supervisor who earned as much as $248,000 a year working for Houston, Texas-based Helix Energy Solutions Group was entitled to additional overtime pay after his dismissal, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week. The case, Helix Energy Solutions Group v. Hewitt,... Read More

February 21, 2023
by Tom Ramstack
Internet Companies Tell Supreme Court They Should Not Be Liable for Terrorism

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court showed minimal interest Tuesday in reducing the legal protections for internet companies over inflammatory... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court showed minimal interest Tuesday in reducing the legal protections for internet companies over inflammatory information their users post online. The court’s greater concern was unleashing a flood of lawsuits that could drive technology companies out of business if they eliminate... Read More

February 13, 2023
by Tom Ramstack
Pressure Mounts on Supreme Court to Adopt a Code of Ethics for Itself

WASHINGTON — Political pressure is mounting on the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics for itself similar... Read More

WASHINGTON — Political pressure is mounting on the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics for itself similar to the one that binds all other federal courts. In a move last week, members of Congress reintroduced a bill that could compel a code of... Read More

January 19, 2023
by Dan McCue
Capitol Police Announce Road Closures Ahead of ‘March for Life’

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol Police have announced Capitol Complex road closures to accommodate the annual “March for Life” on... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol Police have announced Capitol Complex road closures to accommodate the annual “March for Life” on the National Mall. Thousands of anti-abortion activists and marchers are expected to converge on the National Mall Thursday and Friday for a series of events. This... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top