Mississippi's Lynn Fitch among AGs to block Biden vaccine mandate for federal contractors

Three attorneys general, including Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, filed a lawsuit Thursday in Louisiana in an effort to block President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for federal contractors.

In the lawsuit, Fitch — along with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita — claims the mandatory vaccination requirement is unlawful and unconstitutional.

“In an effort to check the box on universal vaccination, President Biden has vastly overreached his authority, putting the jobs of one-fifth of the American workforce in jeopardy and violating vital principles, including state sovereignty, the rule of law and religious liberty," Fitch said in a news release.

The civil suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, names President Joe Biden and other federal officials as defendants.

Records: Mississippi attorney general's use of security detail previously questioned

The attorneys general outline the reported harm the mandate will cause to their respective states, which routinely oversee contracts implementing federally-funded projects for areas like public safety, health care funding, education funding and research through university systems.

Among the complaints, the lawsuit states the mandate violates the Tenth Amendment by encroaching on the states' police power without any clear congressional authority to do so. It also states the mandate violates the Nondelegation Doctrine, an administrative law which states Congress can't delegate its legislative powers to other entities.

The lawsuit is one of several filed against the Biden administration recently.

Gov. Tate Reeves said in a news release his office is working with the attorney general's office to file a second lawsuit challenging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more workers.

"The Biden administration has time and time again shown a total disregard for Americans’ individual liberties," Reeves said. “Their previous lie about not forcing vaccine mandates on the American people was just another example of their lengthy track record of not telling the truth. With this lawsuit, Mississippi is stepping up to defend its people against the Biden administration’s relentless attacks on freedom and personal choice. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to stop President Biden’s flagrant abuse of power.”

Have a news tip? Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, on Twitter or at 601-215-4292.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS among states suing over Biden vaccine mandate for federal contractors