Governor Kim Reynolds Backs Canadian Truckers
Vaccine mandates are a hot-button issue in America right now. Generally speaking, those on the left are pro, citing that they 'trust the science' and they want the pandemic to be over, considering it's been going on for two years. Those on the right are against, saying that they should 'have the freedom to choose' and that the standard for the pandemic ending has continued to change over and over again.
Of course, there's a lot more to it than that -- especially in Canada.
If you're unfamiliar, there is currently a rather massive protest going on from our neighbors to the north, otherwise known as the 'Freedom Convoy,' urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reinstate the vaccination exemption for truckers crossing the Canada-United States border.
According to Council on Foreign Relations, "truckers have been mostly exempt from the U.S.-Canada border restrictions throughout the pandemic because they are considered essential workers." Not only that -- 90% of the truckers are vaccinated, according to Justin Trudeau himself. The protests started roughly three weeks ago.
And now, Trudeau has attempted to invoke emergency powers to stop the protests. Per Reuters, "Under the Emergencies Act, the government introduced measures intended to cut off protesters' funding and took steps to reinforce provincial and local law enforcement with federal police."
The Prime Minister had this to say:
The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety. We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) said the issue at hand did not meet the requirements to invoke the act, which is intended to combat threats to "sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity."
Governor Kim Reynolds is on the side of the truckers and the CCLA. She joined 15 other United States Governors and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in signing a letter to Trudeau and President Joe Biden calling the leaders to reinstate the exemption.
Part of the letter states the following:
The timing of your decision to terminate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions could not have been worse, as North America already faces grave supply chain constraints. Furthermore, transportation associations have informed us that the lack of exemptions will force thousands of drivers out of the trucking industry, which is already facing a significant workforce shortage.
According to CBCNews, the letter was sent Wednesday morning.