Idaho Governor vetoes Medical Freedom Act

IDAHO, USA — Gov. Brad Little vetoed legislation Saturday that would have prohibited schools from mandating certain medical interventions.

Senate Bill 1023, the so-called “Idaho Medical Freedom Act,” sought to broaden existing COVID-19 vaccine restrictions to cover all medical interventions. Little cited concerns about schools’ ability to manage contagious illnesses among students.

“Medical freedom is an Idaho value,” Little wrote in his veto message. “However, this bill removes parents’ freedom to ensure their children stay healthy at school because it jeopardizes the ability of schools to send home sick students with highly contagious conditions.”

The governor specifically noted concerns about schools’ authority to address illnesses such as “measles, lice, ringworm, pink eye, strep throat, stomach viruses, the flu, and other illnesses that disrupt families’ lives.”

The legislation would have prohibited schools from requiring medical intervention for attendance or employment. It would also have prevented businesses and government entities from imposing medical mandates as a condition of service or employment…