ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Workers with the City of Albuquerque received an email telling them to prepare for a vaccine mandate. This comes as the Supreme Court weighs President Biden’s vaccine mandate for companies with more than 100 workers — a mandate that affects government too.
Roughly 6,000 city employees could have to prove they’re vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if this mandate goes into effect. Employees received an email on Friday from Mayor Tim Keller. It states, “coming this month, federal decisions will require all city employees to be fully vaccinated.” The U.S. Supreme Court just heard arguments on the OSHA mandate the president’s push to protect workplaces and bring up lagging vaccination numbers around the country.
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While businesses, cities, and states have passed vaccine and testing mandates for workers and places, the justices will decide if the White House is overstepping its bounds.
“So this is something a bit different. It’s whether or not the executive, the federal government has the power to impose these mandates or testing requirements in the cases of employees,” said Professor Jessica Levinson with Loyola School of Law.
The City of Rio Rancho is also preparing for the mandate. City workers there have until February 9, the new deadline for the federal mandate, to prove they’re vaccinated or be subjected to tests.
KRQE News 13 reached out to the mayor’s office in Roswell and Portales to see if they will enact the president’s plan but did not hear back from any of them. It’s unclear if Albuquerque or Rio Rancho will move forward with the mandate if the Supreme Court rejects the president’s plan.
