Gov. Gianforte Statement on Lawsuit Challenging Pres. Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Montana Employers

• November 05 2021

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today issued the following statement supporting a lawsuit filed by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, other state attorneys general, and employers seeking to block President Biden’s illegal vaccine mandate for private employers: 

“President Biden’s heavy-handed vaccine mandate is illegal in Montana, and I stand with Montana employers and Attorney General Knudsen as he joins other states to challenge the president’s unlawful overreach,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Not only does President Biden’s mandate violate Montana law banning vaccine-based discrimination, but also it will further strain Montana employers already facing a worker shortage. We will use all tools at our disposal to protect Montanans against this gross, unprecedented federal overreach.” 

The lawsuit challenges the federal vaccine mandate issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Pres. Biden’s Emergency Temporary Standard mandates employers, with 100 or more employees, require their workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The Biden OSHA mandate will apply to 142,000 private-sector workers in Montana, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

Details on the lawsuit can be found here.

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