In a show of respect for personal freedom, South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem said she welcomes Los Angeles County police officers, who are refusing to comply with mandatory vaccines, to come to her state.
In a statement released Wednesday, Noem said “South Dakota honors our law enforcement officers, and we respect personal freedom. In particular, we appreciate the tireless work that law enforcement does to defend our freedoms.”
She went on to say, “In South Dakota, you will not be fired for making personal health decisions. We are working on legislation to protect your right to medical, religious, and natural immunity exemptions to COVID-19 vaccinations. We would love to have you come join us.”
To LA County law enforcement officers facing potential firing:
In South Dakota, you will not be fired for making personal health decisions. We respect law enforcement and everything you do to defend our freedoms. We would love to have you come join us.https://t.co/D7bD2yA8Mv
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) February 9, 2022
Reports suggest around 4,000 officers could be fired as a result of the mandate.
In LA, enforcement of the vaccine mandate has been taken on by the LA County Supervisors, according to Fox 11.
The report stated, “The board approved a motion brought forth by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Holly Mitchell that would change civil service rules and give the county personnel director say in whether to discipline or terminate employees who don’t comply with LA County’s employee COVID vaccine mandate.”
The report added, “The order requiring all county employees to be vaccinated was issued in early August 2021, and affects more than 110,000 LA County employees, including those who work for the sheriff’s department and LA County Fire. The deadline for employees to show proof of vaccination was Oct. 1, 2021.”
