By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Republican State Rep. Paul Waggoner believes there is considerable support for a special legislative session to address specific issues related to vaccine mandates.
"There's two bills that I specifically know about," Waggoner said Wednesday. "There can be additional bills, but there's going to be one that will make sure that religious exemptions are honored and that they're not thwarted by what some of the, either big companies, or even some of our public institutions have been doing. That's been requiring people to fill out like a three or five page, you know, theology thesis on why they want a religious exemption, which is just total overkill. The other thing is, it is true in Kansas law that, if you refuse an order of your employer, it's basically like you're...it's a voluntary suspension, it's like you're quitting on your own accord, which of course is not the case, they're being forced out. If you're quitting on your own accord, you do not get unemployment compensation."
Normally, bringing the legislature into special session is not something they do themselves.
"To have the House and Senate members call for a special session has literally never happened in Kansas history," Waggoner said. "This is kind of a one-off event. Typically the governor is the one who is doing this, but, of course, Governor Kelly is not really of the same persuasion, I think, as the rest of the legislature is on this topic."
Kelly has made a public statement saying that it is 'too late to impose a federal standard' regarding vaccines. Waggoner said there is already a timeline out there for the legislature's return.
"It would be that Monday right before Thanksgiving," Waggoner said. "Typically, this would be about a two-day session, I think, is what they are expecting. We should be able to get some things out of committee officially and debated and voted on relatively quickly."
Waggoner said in his opinion they can fairly easily get to a majority of the House that is in favor of coming to Topeka, but, unless the Governor acts, they would need two-thirds majorities of both houses to agree just to be allowed to show up.