More than 130 Chicago municipal employees file lawsuit challenging vaccine mandates

By Mitchell McCluskey, CNN

More than 130 Chicago municipal workers filed a lawsuit on Thursday, claiming the city and state’s vaccine mandates are unconstitutional.

The workers, mostly from the fire, water and transportation departments, are challenging an executive order by Gov. J.B. Pritzker which requires state employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19.

The mandate “far exceeds the power of the governor granted to him by Illinois statute,” the lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit also argues against a mandate put in place by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, which required that all city employees disclose their vaccination status by October 15 or undergo twice-weekly tests for Covid-19.

“The mandate, and the Executive Orders, violate the constitutional and fundamental rights of those who either choose not to be vaccinated, or choose not to disclose their vaccination status to either the state, or their employers,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit comes after Lightfoot announced that a “very small number” of Chicago Police Department employees were put into a no-pay status on Monday after they did not disclose their vaccination status.

CNN reached out to Lightfoot’s and Pritzer’s offices for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The-CNN-Wire
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