Senate votes to repeal CT's religious exemption to mandatory vaccinations

A measure repealing Connecticut’s religious exemption from mandatory school vaccinations is headed for Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk, after the Senate gave final passage to the bill in an evening vote Tuesday over the objections of several Republicans and thousands of protestors who gathered outside the state Capitol.

Senators voted 22 to 14 in favor of the proposal after nine hours of debate. The vote broke mostly along party lines, with just two Democrats, Sens. Cathy Osten and Dennis Bradley, voting against it.

Gov. Ned Lamont has pledged to sign the bill, which would not force children to be inoculated but would bar students who refuse vaccines on religious grounds from attending public and private schools in Connecticut.

“This proposed legislation is bad policy, it is poorly devised, and it will have significant and far reaching negative consequences,” said Sen. Rob Sampson, a Republican from Wolcott. “Most importantly, it is fundamentally wrong, immoral, and I would say even anti-American.”

Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2021/04/27/as-senate-debate-heats-up-on-religious-exemption-bill-protestors-gather-in-opposition/