Wisconsin bill forbids requiring proof of COVID vaccination

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly planned to vote Wednesday on a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit businesses, colleges and universities, governments and anyone else in the state from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

The proposal must also pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Tony Evers before becoming law. Evers has signaled that he will veto the bill.

It is supported by a Wisconsin group that opposes mandating vaccines and the anti-abortion group Pro-Life Wisconsin. Opponents include the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Wisconsin Public Health Association and the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards.

Supporters, at a hearing earlier this month, likened requiring people to show proof of vaccination to Cold War-era Russia and Nazi Germany. They argue that the bill is about protecting individual freedoms.

The Wisconsin Medical Society, which represents doctors, said rules at hospitals requiring vaccinations helps ensure that patients and other workers in health care settings do not get sick.