WA State troopers, other workers sue over vaccine mandate

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state troopers, prison correctional officers, ferry workers and other public sector employees have filed a lawsuit to try to overturn Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Northwest News Network reports the lawsuit filed by more than 90 workers on Friday in Walla Walla County says the mandate is unlawful and unconstitutional. The lawsuit says the penalty of being fired for not getting the vaccine is “arbitrary and capricious,” especially for employees who can work from home or have natural immunity from having previously contracted COVID-19. An Inslee spokesperson, Mike Faulk, said the office had not yet reviewed the lawsuit, but added: “We know these vaccine requirements are legal and essential for saving lives.”