Legislators protest IU’s decision to require COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff

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Staff Reports
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District 69 Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, welcomes Jack Koenig Sr. and Patricia Espinosa Koenig to the Indiana Statehouse to honor their late son, Lance Cpl. Jacky Ray Koenig Jr., on Monday. The Jennings County High School graduate was killed in Okinawa, Japan, during a training exercise April 9, 2017. Lucas led a resolution to honor the serviceman’s family and his service with a moment of silence with the Indiana House of Representatives. Submitted photo

INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 20 state legislators are protesting Indiana University’s decision to require all students and employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, and they want the governor to block the move.

A letter dated Tuesday to Gov. Eric Holcomb calls on him to prohibit any state university from mandating vaccines that don’t have full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. The letter follows IU’s announcement on Friday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for the fall semester on all of its campuses.

“Enforcing a mandate that students and faculty accept a vaccine that does not have full FDA approval is unconscionable,” said the letter written by Rep. Jim Lucas of Seymour and signed by 18 fellow Republican House members. No high-ranking Republican leaders, however, signed the letter.

The letter was also signed by Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, who also represents a portion of Bartholomew County.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.

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