Maybe I misread, but it sounds like *private* entites in red states are the one's mandating the bullshit: > Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has publicly declared that his state “should be leading the fight against the COVID tyranny.” However, large publicly funded institutions are still allowed to impose vaccine mandates. > In September Mr. Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 29, which prohibits local governments from requiring COVID-related masks, vaccines, or business shutdowns. However, a separate bill, “The Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Freedom Act,” intended to block any Texas entity, including hospitals and private businesses, from mandating COVID vaccines for employees, remains stalled. >Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison, who has pushed for a statewide ban on vaccine mandates, told The Epoch Times that he is calling for Mr. Abbott to convene a special session of the legislature to protect patient rights. “This is Texas. We should not tolerate this here,” said Rep. Harrison. “The governor should demand we pass the Covid Vaccine Freedom Act in a special session. This makes no sense that people aren’t protected. The Senate has passed it, the governor has called for it, and members of the House overwhelmingly support it. Now we need to do it.” Seems like The State is actually trying to prevent mandates, but who knows.