(The Center Square) – State Rep. James DeSana recently proposed “vaccine freedom legislation” in an effort to protect “individual liberty and parental rights” in Michigan.
In a press conference on Tuesday, DeSana said the bill is essential to preserve liberty.
“It is essential for Michigan to keep defending individual rights,” DeSana said. “This proposal ensures that Michigan continues to protect people from unfair treatment based solely on their health choices. It’s time to make it clear that medical freedom is not negotiable.”
The bill will amend civil rights legislation to prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s vaccine status. It would make vaccine status a protected class and would apply to state and local governments, employers, and public institutions, including schools and colleges.
“By classifying vaccination status as a protected characteristic, the measure reinforces the principle that bodily autonomy and informed consent should be respected in all areas of public life,” a statement from Michigan House Republicans said.
House Bill 4475 has received bipartisan support in the house, though the support leans majority Republican. So far, 33 Republicans and three Democrats have joined in sponsoring it.
The bill would also take steps against a so-called “immunity passport.” In addition, it would allow parents to decline vaccines for children based on “personal, religious, or philosophical beliefs.”
There are some limited exceptions to the changes, healthcare and federally-regulated entities.
“No one should have to choose between their job and a medical decision,” DeSana said. “Every Michigander deserves the freedom to make personal health choices without being punished or excluded. This effort is about restoring balance, protecting privacy, and making sure individuals remain in charge of their own medical decisions.”
DeSana was joined at the press conference by Brad Paquette, a representative of Michigan Vaccine Choice.
The conference also highlighted House Bills 4552 and 4553, which prohibit schools from requiring a certain vaccine status and clarify Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ rules.
Michigan Vaccine Choice argued in a statement that the current rules and actions taken by local schools “violate rights protected under statutory and constitutional law at both the state and federal levels.”
This all comes as public debate grows over vaccine requirements, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as secretary of Health and Human Services.
According to DeSana, this is just the beginning in the “fight for vaccine freedom” in Michigan.
DeSana’s bill has not yet been taken up by the House Committee on Government Operations, where it was first introduced in May. House Bills 4552 and 4553 are also stalled in the House Committee on Rules.
Elyse Apel is a reporter for The Center Square covering Colorado and Michigan. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Elyse’s writing has been published in a wide variety of national publications from the Washington Examiner to The American Spectator and The Daily Wire.
