Orange County Democrats oppose Anti-VAX resolution proposed by the County Legislature

In response to the Times Herald-Record story this week about the Republican Anti-VAX Resolution being proposed in the Orange County Legislature, Democratic leaders within Orange County released the following statement in opposition to the Anti-Vax Resolution:

Majorities of Americans, New Yorkers and Orange County residents favor requiring people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to travel by airplane, stay in a hotel, attend events with large crowds, dine in a restaurant and go to their office or work site.

Vaccination requirements protect the rights of Americans from the continued exposure to COVID-19 outbreaks and breakthrough infections.

All three COVID-19 vaccines available in the country have been shown to be safe and they are effective at limiting both the spread and severity of the COVID-19 virus by those who have received their vaccination shots.

The Orange County Legislature’s embrace of the Anti-Vax movement’s opposition to federal and state vaccination requirements with a proposed resolution objecting to so-called ‘vaccine mandates’ sends the wrong message as we enter what is ideally the final stretch of a battle with the COVID-19 virus. This pointless resolution only serves to increase vaccine hesitancy among vulnerable populations while discouraging increases in vaccination rates necessary to obtain herd immunity.

Every level of government, including the Orange County Legislature, should be focused on improving the health and safety of our population by increasing overall vaccination rates so that we can end this pandemic once and for all.

Instead, the Orange County Legislature’s proposed Anti-Vax Resolution undermines the Herculean effort of the Orange County Department of Health to decrease infection rates by increasing vaccination rates.

We, the 2021 slate of Democratic legislative candidates and other supporters, call on our colleagues and friends in the Orange County Legislature to vote against this Anti-Vax Resolution.

Kevindaryan Lujan – Incumbent legislator and candidate for Legislative District 4

Fran Fox-Pizzonia - Candidate for Legislative District 9

Susan Bahren - Candidate for Legislative District 10

Ryan Mayo - Candidate for Legislative District 11

Seth Goldman – Candidate for Legislative District 13

Laurie Tautel – Incumbent legislator and candidate for Legislative District 14

Neil Fernandez - Candidate for Legislative District 15

Pearl Johnson - Candidate for Legislative District 16

Gail Jeter – Candidate for Legislative District 18

Joel Sierra – Incumbent legislator and candidate for Legislative District 20

Neal Frishberg - Candidate for Legislative District 21

Other signatories to this release:

Joe DeStefano – Mayor of the City of Middletown

James Skoufis – New York State Senator – District 39

Jim Kulisek – Orange County Legislator – District 6 (not running for re-election)

Brett Broge – Chair, Orange County Democratic Committee

Virginia Scott – Cornwall Town Council member

Faheem Haider – Chair, Montgomery Democratic Committee

Zak Constantine – Chair, Young Democrats of Orange County

Willa Freiband – Chair, Orange County Democratic Women; chair, Woodbury Democratic Committee

Richard Roberts – Chair, Port Jervis Democratic Committee

Christine Stage – Chair, Warwick Democratic Committee

Alison Miller – Chair, Mount Hope Democratic Committee

Tom Kemnitz – Chair, Monroe Democratic Committee

Myrna Kemnitz – Former Orange County Legislator, District 7