Inslee’s Vaccine Mandate Survives Court Challenge To Block It

Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate has survived an 11th hour court challenge. On Monday, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy denied a motion for an injunction to block the mandate from taking effect, saying “The record in this case shows that multiple individuals will have significant changes in their life potentially by these proclamations that are at issue, the question before the court though is whether there will be irreparable harm.”

Murphy said the harm is financial as some unvaccinated workers will be losing their jobs. That can be litigated individually, she said. The lawsuit was brought by hundreds of state employees and others who are affected by the mandate. Last Friday, a federal judge in Seattle also refused to halt the implementation of Inslee’s get-vaccinated-or-get-fired order.