Senate Leader Atkins Responds to Assembly Announcement Regarding COVID Vaccines

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) released the following statement regarding the mandatory vaccine protocol announced by the Assembly:

“The health and safety of our workforce continues to be the Senate’s top priority. We have been testing those with in-person duties since December 2020, and have expanded testing and mandated testing in the months that followed – to date, there have been no cases of COVID-19 transmitted between Senate employees in the Capitol. Since June, the Senate has mandated vaccines for essential employees with in-person duties in departments with high unvaccinated rates, held vaccine clinics, and worked to dispel myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. Because of those efforts – and because many of our workforce chose to get vaccinated when they became eligible – there now is a 91% vaccination rate among all members and Senate employees working in the Capitol and Legislative Office Building. This is good, but it can be better. We will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether a vaccination mandate of the Senate workforce at large is needed.”

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Toni G. Atkins is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. Having previously served as Speaker of the California Assembly, she began her tenure in the Senate in 2016. As Senator for District 39, she represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Website of President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins