Gov. Greg Abbott was pressed in an interview on the Chad Hasty Show about vaccine mandates in Texas.

It seems that the governor is reluctant to call a fourth special session so lawmakers can address the issue of employer vaccine mandates in the state.

You can read the interview below, when asked about calling another session here is what he had to say:

Well … during the last special session, even the Senate couldn’t pass a ban on vaccine mandates. But … there is another reason why there is not a special session on it right now. And that is, if you haven’t announced the news, yesterday there was a second federal court order, a nationwide ban on vaccine mandates that were imposed by Medicaid and Medicare for any hospital or worker that is associated with Medicaid and Medicare—and that is on top of the ban from the 5th Circuit that oversees Texas put on OSHA.

Here is the point: All of the federal-based vaccine mandates have not been stayed or halted because of federal court rulings. If it turns out that we do continue to win those federal court rulings, which I think is going to be the case, then there is no need to pass legislation concerning vaccine mandates because there won’t be any vaccine mandates.

After that is when the host pressed him, asking him that despite the court rulings, wouldn’t companies still be able to force their employees to get the shot, Abbott gave this response:

Not under my executive order. My executive order, remember this, under Section 418 of the Texas Government Code, my executive order has the effect of law and it is something that Ken Paxton, the attorney general, has been suing and winning under. … We got a victory this last week from the [5th Circuit Court of Appeals] with regard to my elimination of the mask mandates in schools. So, we win these cases, and so, if we win in the Supreme Court on all of these federally imposed vaccine mandates, if any business goes against my executive order, then Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, can take legal action against them.

Chad Hasty didn’t let him off the hook.

He then told Abbott that there are businesses that ignored his executive order and employees were still getting fired left and right in Texas. He also told the governor that Ken Paxton was on the show and said that it is not up to him to sue companies, that’s the responsibility of the local district attorneys.

Mr. governor then ended the interview after a final statment:

Well, I don’t know what the analysis was that led to that conclusion. What I do know is that if he has a problem with the executive order, we can always craft another executive order to fix it. But the fact of the matter is that my executive order prohibits businesses in the state of Texas from imposing a vaccine mandate, period.

Hmmmm…I don’t understand what the hesitancy is about calling another session. The Republican Party of Texas and 26 legislators have been pressing him to call another session on this matter and he has yet to do so. Other red states like Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Tennessee are taking steps in that direction.

It seems to me Gov. Greg Abbott is relying on his executive order and whatever happens in the courts to determine the outcome instead of going all in and calling lawmakers back to Austin to put an end to it once and for all.

I am grateful though to have an attorney general who goes to bat for the people of Texas, Ken Paxton has been at the forefront of this fight.

Christmas time is here, time to warm up with a Texas throw through the Amazon page!