Fire chief sues Oregon over coronavirus vaccine mandate
Aurora Fire Chief Josh Williams explains he's willing to lose his job to defend personal freedom.
Aurora fire chief Josh Williams is suing the state of Oregon for the mandate requiring all government workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and told "Fox News Primetime" Thursday that he reached his breaking point after coping through various pandemic shutdowns while keeping the community safe – so making vaccinations mandatory with no alternative pushed the limit.
"I’ve been in emergency service for 28 years making decisions that impact people’s lives every day," he said. "I can sure as hell make a decision on what I put in my own body."
In reaction, the state warned Williams that if he does not comply with requirements by Oct. 18 that he must get rid of all workers he employs. The chief was adamant about not allowing this to happen.
"I’m willing to lose my job over that," he stated.
Williams’ attorney Rebekah Millard, from the Freedom Foundation, joined the conversation, stressing that Oregon’s law isn’t just unconstitutional, but it also simply "doesn’t make sense."
"I think it’s pretty low bar to say our laws, our regulations, our mandates have to at least make sense," she said. "If someone has natural immunity that’s better than an injection could give you, then it doesn’t make sense to go and require them to get a vaccine on top of that. That’s what the lawsuit's about."
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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has yet to reach out to Williams personally on the matter, even though the fireman has served the people of Oregon for nearly thirty years. Williams' message to the governor is to "let people make their own decision."
"This is not about science. This is about power," he said. "And the people have had enough. And I’m not going to put up with it anymore."
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