Liberal Supreme Court Justice Blocks Vaccine Mandate Challenge From Maine Health Care Workers

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Tuesday declined to hear an emergency appeal regarding a religious challenge to a vaccine mandate for health care workers in Maine.

Maine Governor Janet Mills announced the vaccine mandate back in August, leaving health care workers to get their COVID shots by October 29th or risk termination without unemployment benefits.

The petitioner’s motion argues that the order by Mills allows for medical exemptions but denies the opportunity for religious exemptions, which they argue “violates the First Amendment.”

Breyer “denied without prejudice” the application but advised the challengers that they could make another request pending a ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on their case.

Reuters reports that shortly after Breyer’s order, “the Boston-based appeals court ruled against the healthcare workers, setting up the case to return to the Supreme Court.”

Justice Stephen Breyer rejected the emergency appeal.

Breyer did allow those who oppose the order to try again before the state’s mandate goes into effect on Oct. 29.https://t.co/9dHe6dmVNW

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 20, 2021

RELATED: Conservative Host Dan Bongino Gives Radio Company Ultimatum Over Vaccine Mandate

Not The First Time The Supreme Court Has Rejected A Vaccine Mandate Challenge

Breyer’s rejection of a challenge to a vaccine mandate for Maine health care workers isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has failed to protect Americans who have religious concerns.

Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a further-left-leaning member of the bench, refused to block New York City’s requirement that public school teachers and employees be vaccinated.

Sotomayor was disinterested in the argument, opting not to refer the matter to the full court, declining to request the New York City Department of Education file a response, and refusing comment on her denial.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor refused to block New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public-school employees https://t.co/4cKNeNr0iz pic.twitter.com/iABtZCiQDM

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 2, 2021

A recent poll by Selzer suggests Americans are increasingly convinced that the Supreme Court bases decisions on political leaning rather than an application of the law.

More than 6 in 10 respondents to the poll believe the Court has become too political.

Lest you think the conservative justices, however, are going to rescue Americans from the tyranny of vaccine mandates, keep in mind that Amy Coney Barrett, an appointee of President Donald Trump, denied a bid to block one such effort in August by Indiana University students.

She too acted alone and did not refer the matter to the full court.

Outrage erupts against Justice Amy Coney Barrett over vaccine mandate decision https://t.co/WOLbb0XHZ5

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 13, 2021

RELATED: DeSantis Threatens Biden With Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandates

Who Will Fight For Our Rights?

While the Supreme Court seems disinterested in protecting Americans when it comes to vaccine mandates, there are still challenges being picked up on the right.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to take President Biden to court over the administration’s extensive vaccine mandate, arguing that he has no right to take jobs away from essential workers.

“Let’s not have Biden come in and effectively take away — threaten to take away — the jobs of people who have been working hard throughout this entire pandemic,” DeSantis said. “I am offended that a police officer could potentially lose their job.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday vowed “to do whatever we need to do” to “protect Floridians” from President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. https://t.co/Z7SC7yrCMm

— The Hill (@thehill) October 14, 2021

Last week, Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) president John Catanzara urged officers to defy Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“I’ve made my status very clear as far as the vaccine, but I do not believe the city has the authority to mandate that to anybody let alone that information about your medical history,” he said.

FOP President John Catanzara vowed to take Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration to court if it tries to enforce the mandate, urging rank-and-file officers not to comply. https://t.co/8A1lreOYf9

— WGN Morning News (@WGNMorningNews) October 13, 2021

Conservative radio host Dan Bongino stood up for other workers when he threatened to quit his highly successful radio program over his broadcast company’s vaccine mandate.

“I believe these vaccine mandates are unethical. I believe they’re immoral,” Bongino told listeners. “I believe they don’t take into account the science of natural immunity due to a prior infection.”

#BREAKING: Dan Bongino opened his radio show this afternoon saying the company that carries the program, Cumulus Media, can cancel his show if it wants, but he’s against the COVID vaccine mandate.
“You can have me, or you can have a vaccine mandate, but you can’t have both”.

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 18, 2021

With the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, the attempt to block Maine’s vaccine mandate for health care workers is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Will they finally listen to the argument this time?