Florida’s Leon County Slapped With $3.5 Million Fine After Violating State Ban On Vaccine Passports

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Leon County, Florida has been fined $3.57 million for imposing a vaccine mandate on local government employees in violation of the state's ban on vaccine passports.

Leon County, located in the panhandle of Florida, has been fined $3.57 million for imposing a vaccine mandate on local government employees in violation of the state’s ban on vaccine passports.

Under Florida law, any business entity – including the local government – that requires proof of a COVID vaccine is subject to a $5,000 fine per infraction.

Leon County has 714 employees, according to Forbes.

“It is unacceptable that Leon County violated Florida law, infringed on current and former employees’ medical privacy, and fired loyal public servants because of their personal health decisions,” DeSantis said in a statement.

RELATED: DeSantis Says No To COVID Lockdowns: We Should Not Be Forced To Live In A ‘Faucian Dystopia’

Leon County Fined For Violating Ban On Vaccine Passports

Leon County Administrator Vincent Long was not pleased, sending an email to Axios which claims the ban on vaccine passports is not following the science.

“The Governor’s position in this instance, unfortunately, appears to be less of a public health strategy and more about political strategy,” Long said.

He added that “Leon County fully intends to enforce its rights … so that we can continue to direct our full and undivided attention on combating the virus.”

Nowhere does he mention the rights of the individual employees.

The county terminated 14 employees for not complying with the mandate.

RELATED: Gov. DeSantis Fires Back After Jen Psaki Attacks Florida’s Handling Of The Pandemic

30 Days To Pay The Fine

Leon County, Forbes reports, now has 30 days to pay the fine.

“We will continue fighting for Floridians’ rights and the Florida Department of Health will continue to enforce the law,” DeSantis vowed in his statement.

DeSantis affirmed his opposition to mandates during a speech to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual meeting in Utah this past summer.

“I think it’s very important that we say unequivocally no to lockdowns, no to school closures, no to restrictions, and no to mandates,” he insisted.

DeSantis added that no American, regardless of which state they reside in, should be “consigned to live in a Faucian dystopia in which we’re governed by the whims of bureaucratic authorities who care little for our freedom, little for our aspirations and little for our happiness.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused Governor DeSantis of being “out of step” with a history of vaccine mandates in this country as well as the view of business leaders in his state.

Psaki claims DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott are engaged in “a familiar pattern that we’ve seen of putting politics ahead of public health” by stepping up against forced vaccination.

“Why would you be taking steps that prevent the saving of lives, that make it more difficult to save lives across the country or in any state?” she asked.

“We’re going to make sure people are able to make their own choices,” DeSantis declared at a press conference. “We’re not going to discriminate against people based on those choices and you’re going to have a right to operate in society.”

Forbes reports that Leon County may be the first to receive punishment for violating Florida’s ban on vaccine passports but more than 100 entities are currently “under review.”

 

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By Rusty Weiss
Rusty Weiss has been covering politics for over 15 years. His writings have appeared in the Daily Caller, Fox ... More about Rusty Weiss
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