Alabama Governor orders state agencies to defy federal vaccine mandate

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has directed state agencies not to cooperate with the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Ivey signed an executive order forbidding executive branch agencies from penalizing employees or businesses for non-compliance with the federal vaccine mandate.

The directive is part of Republican officials’ efforts to resist the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate.

But the impact of the Alabama order is unclear since it can only cover state executive branch agencies.

It would not affect plans by Auburn University and the University of Alabama to require employees to be vaccinated by Dec. 8.