An appeals court has affirmed a ban in three states on enforcing a federal vaccine mandate for workers who contract with the federal government.
A panel of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Thursday affirmed a lower court's ruling that said the mandate was unconstitutional. President Joe Biden's administration is not enforcing the rule while legal battles play out around the country.
A federal judge in Louisville, Kentucky, blocked the Biden rule in November 2021 for that state and two others: Tennessee and Ohio. The mandate requires workers contracting with the federal government to wear face masks and be vaccinated for COVID-19.
The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a similar ruling in December for Indiana, Louisiana and Mississippi.
“The Sixth Circuit’s decision is a resounding victory against unlawful federal overreach into the personal medical decisions of Kentuckians," Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement Thursday.
Cameron, a Republican running for governor, brought the Kentucky lawsuit in 2021.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
