‘It’s truly ineffective.’ Tri-Cities lawmaker must stay virtual after refusing vaccine, testing

An outspoken Washington state lawmaker is working from his Tri-Cities office after refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

As part of an update on Rep. Brad Klippert’s congressional campaign page, he said he’s working from Kennewick because he’s not vaccinated.

“The powers-that-be in Olympia say that if I’m not vaccinated, I have to be tested three times a week and I can not go to my office, I can not go to the floor,” Klippert said in his update.

For a second year, much of the business of the state Legislature is being handled online. That includes committee hearings, according to COVID-19 rules put into place before the beginning of the 2022 session.

Floor sessions are being conducted similar to last year with each caucus being allowed to have up to two members on the floor.

While unvaccinated members of the House can go into their offices, they need show a negative COVID test result within the past two days. And they are required to get tested three times a week.

The House Executive Rules Committee approved the rules in a 4-3 vote along party lines and is expected to be reviewed every two weeks.

House leaders and administrators have said the rules are aimed at keeping people healthy and following public health guidance, according to Crosscut.

Klippert, a Benton County sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer, is one of about a dozen state lawmakers who either haven’t gotten vaccinated or turned in a verification form.

He feels the virtual communication is hindering his ability to work on behalf of his constituents, he said.

“They say that 80 percent of all communication is non-verbal,” he said. “It’s truly ineffective. We need to get back to in-person Legislature.”

Klippert said he believes the House’s Republican Caucus has taken some official steps to complain about it. He’s heard complaints from both sides of people tired of meeting online.

He thinks the current system is stopping business from getting done.

Klippert and COVID

He previously told the Herald he hasn’t gotten the vaccine because it does not stop the spread of the disease. Since it doesn’t stop transmission, he feels it is a personal choice and not a public safety requirement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccines are effective at keeping people from getting seriously ill if they do get COVID.

“People can sometimes get COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated,” according to a CDC information page about the vaccines. “However, this only happens in a small proportion of people, even with the delta variant. When these infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild.”

He was previously shut out of his office by an earlier decision by House administrators because of his vaccination status. He has been critical of the decisions made to require vaccinations and masks.

This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.