3M employees pleased with judge’s ruling to stop Biden vaccine mandate

HARRISON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Employees at 3M in Harrison County do not have to get vaccinated, for now.

Tuesday, a federal judge in Kentucky blocked the Biden administration’s mandate that requires federal contractors to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The decision comes weeks after dozens of 3M employees protested the mandate. Some employees tell us they are pleased with the judge’s ruling to stop the mandate until the case is fully litigated in court.

The ruling will affect Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.

In the court order, the judge wrote the decision was not about the effectiveness of vaccines or if the government can require citizens to get them. He said his decision focused on if President Joe Biden has the authority to require vaccines for federal contractors and subcontractors, which he decided no.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron praised the ruling. He led the lawsuit challenging the mandate, alongside the attorney generals of Ohio and Tennessee. Cameron argued the mandate was unconstitutional.

“This is a significant ruling because it gives immediate relief from the federal government’s vaccine requirement to Kentuckians who either contract with the federal government or work for a federal contractor,” Cameron said.

He told WKYT that he feels Kentuckians should be the ones to decide if they get the shots. He said he is fully vaccinated and plans to get his booster shot soon.

Governor Andy Beshear is asking for more clarity on the ruling. In the past, he has said Kentucky will comply with all federal vaccine requirements.

“If you are not vaccinated, there is a periodic testing you have to undergo, so, in the end, we need to know what as an employer we’re going to have to do or not do,” Beshear said.

3M officials say they are “evaluating the impact of the decisions.”

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