Dahm responds to pandemic lockdowns, restrictions with series of freedom bills

After nearly a year of forced closures, mask mandates and talks of required vaccinations, Sen. Nathan Dahm is fighting back by filing three bills to address government overreach during a pandemic.  

“It seems like we’ve been caught in a never-ending loop of mandates, lockdowns, restrictions and dread since the pandemic started over a year ago,” Dahm said. “Unfortunately, many in government have taken advantage of such a crisis to expand their control over the lives and livelihood of the people. This is simply unacceptable.”

The Broken Arrow Republican filed Senate Bill 846 to protect those who object to receiving a vaccine. The measure would prohibit any person or business to require any employee, volunteer or future employee to take any vaccine due to religious beliefs if fetal cells were used in the development of the shot. It would also ensure no employee or volunteer could be terminated from their position due to refusal to take a vaccine containing fetal cells.

“This bill prohibits retaliation from an employer for firing someone who refuses a vaccine,” Dahm said. “It also protects consumers from being discriminated against for their religion.”

Dahm also filed SB 557, which would prohibit any state, county, municipal or political subdivision from suspending or prohibiting activities in a place of worship during a declared state of emergency.  

Similarly, Dahm also proposed SB 541 to classify all businesses as essential. Under the measure, the governor would be prohibited from ordering the closure of any business during a pandemic under a declared state of emergency without documented scientific evidence that a particular business actually contributes to the direct spreading of disease related to the pandemic.

“In Oklahoma, people have the right to freely exercise their religion and the right to the gains of their industry,” Dahm said. “It’s disappointing when we must pass additional laws to reinstate those constitutional protections to keep them from being violated by local governments, mayors and those self-absorbed in their own power.”