Tag Archives: COVID-19

Hawkins receives nearly 6,500 responses to his COVID vaccine survey

Sen. Brad Hawkins asked for North Central Washington’s feedback on Gov. Inslee’s recent COVID mandates and received thousands of responses over the past two weeks. In addition to the thousands of individual emails and calls into his office in recent days, Hawkins distributed a survey to over 50,000 residents and received nearly 6,500 responses (Aug. 25 through Sept. 8, 2021). In addition to the “yes” or “no” responses, Hawkins also received 4,300 detailed comments in the “additional comments” portion of his survey.

Among the key questions, a strong majority of respondents (60%) believed that school district and state employees should not be required to receive a COVID vaccination as a condition of their employment. In response to both questions, 40% answered “yes” with 60% answering “no.”

With regards to school masking, 44% responded that students should be required to wear masks for at least the first half of the school year with 56% responding “no.” Survey results were closer when asked if unvaccinated people should be required to wear masks indoors, with 48% responding “yes” to 52% responding “no.”

See full responses – Sen. Hawkins’ COVID Mandate Vaccine Survey.

While not a scientific survey, Hawkins said receiving almost 6,500 survey responses and thousands of personalized comments is helpful to him as he looks ahead to the next legislative session.

“I’m very grateful to everyone who participate and provided comments. It’s clear that our region – like most of America – is split on many of the difficult questions surrounding the pandemic,” said Hawkins. “At this stage, I think it’s important for us to respect people’s differing opinions so that we can try to move forward together.

“There is no doubt that emergency powers and vaccine policies will continue to be major topics of debate in the months and years ahead. Judging by the thousands of emails and survey responses I have received, there continues to be strong interested from all sides,” added Hawkins.

Hawkins asks Inslee to make COVID-19 vaccine available now to all in-person school employees wanting it

Sen. Brad Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, is asking Gov. Jay Inslee to make it possible for all in-person school employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination now if they want it.

In a letter sent to the governor today, Hawkins wrote:

“I appreciate the step that you took to modify your vaccine plan to allow all school employees regardless of age to gain access in Phase 1B2, however, you significantly slowed down the process to move to that phase. As I have communicated previously, our school employees are on the front lines – many currently providing in-person instruction – and helping our state fulfill its paramount duty regarding education. They deserve to be protected.”

Later in his letter to Inslee, Hawkins wrote:

“In a recent news conference, you compared a 25-year old teacher to an 80-year old Washingtonian. To me, this greatly oversimplifies the policy argument about access to vaccines. You did not mention that under your current plan, for example, a 64-year old teacher is unable to be vaccinated yet a 65-year old retiree who can still self-isolate is eligible. I support prioritizing our older Washingtonians and vulnerable adults, but our school employees (administrators, teachers, and support staff) deserve to be prioritized alongside these older Washingtonians, especially those who are providing direct student support today. Our state will not get back to normal until our schools are successfully functioning.

“Please consider advancing our state to Phase 1B2, allow school employees providing in-person instruction today to be assigned to Phase 1B1, or authorize local health providers to utilize their discretion when administering vaccines. Additionally, please clarify publicly your support for all school employees to gain access to the vaccine – regardless of age – in the same phase per your decision on January 18, as your response at a recent news conference appears to contradict your revised guidance.”

Hawkins, a former member of the Eastmont School Board in East Wenatchee, said Inslee’s current COVID-19 vaccination phases timeline is vague and different from the governor’s original vaccination phases timeline.

Hawkins represents the 12^th District, which covers much of North Central Washington.

Hawkins pleased about Inslee’s decision on school employee vaccine access

Gov. Jay Inslee’s move yesterday to make all of the state’s public-school employees eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of their age, is good news, says Sen. Brad Hawkins, ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

The governor’s action came Monday, one week after Hawkins and the state Legislature’s other education committee leaders urged Inslee and the state Department of Health to revise recent guidance so that all school employees wishing to get a vaccination would be eligible under Phase 1B2 of the state’s guidelines.

“I’m thankful the governor agreed with the importance of expanding access to vaccinations for school employees,” said Hawkins. “His prior guidelines put those age 50 and older on track for being vaccinated as early as February, but a huge percentage of younger employees would have been waiting until April for their first vaccine dose, meaning the second dose wouldn’t happen until the school year is nearly finished.”

Hawkins added, “The governor’s original schedule was not acceptable, and I’m thankful he recognized that and changed his plan. The people on the front lines helping to fulfill the state’s paramount duty regarding education deserve to be protected, as many will be transitioning back to in-building instruction.

“I’m pleased that the proposed change was accepted and hope that the governor and DOH will consider my call to allow local health officials across the state to partner with school districts to designate February 1 as a statewide ‘School Employee Vaccination Day.’ My district could hold our vaccination day for school employees at Wenatchee’s Town Toyota Center, as it is one of the state-designated regional vaccination sites specified in the governor’s new plan.”

Go here to view the joint letter from Hawkins and his legislative education counterparts to Inslee and DOH.

Go here to view Hawkins’ news release on designating Feb. 1 as a statewide “School Employee Vaccination Day.”

Hawkins calls for statewide “School Employee Vaccination Day”

Following his Jan. 11 letter with legislative education committee leaders to the governor and state Department of Health urging greater access to the COVID-19 vaccine for school employees, 12^th District state Sen. Brad Hawkins is now calling for a statewide “School Employee Vaccination Day.”

With the federal government’s recent decision to release more vaccine supply and many of the doses already allocated by Washington not yet administered, Hawkins says it is time to get going statewide to protect those helping to fulfill the state’s paramount duty regarding education.

“I’m calling on Governor Inslee to designate February 1 as our state’s ‘School Employee Vaccination Day’ and for the Department of Health to allow school districts and health care providers at the local level to coordinate access for any school employee who wishes to get vaccinated,” said Hawkins, the ranking Republican member on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

“Let’s not overthink this,” added Hawkins. “Start planning today to set aside two dates in February for both doses. Providers can get lists from their school districts, ask staff to present identification cards, and start getting vaccines in people’s arms. School employees are critical workers and deserve to be protected as soon as possible.”

Hawkins acknowledges the challenge of coordinating vaccinations, but he believes it is often made worse by the state’s “top-down” approach and limiting flexibility at the local level.

“I’m thankful the health care providers in my region have been successful at getting our allocation of vaccinations administered, but the state should simplify things and provide more local flexibility in decision-making. Get the vaccines to our locals and let them get it done.”

Education committee leaders urge vaccine access for all school employees

Washington state’s education committee leaders, including 12^th District state Sen. Brad Hawkins, urged Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Department of Health to revise recent guidance so that all school employees who wish to get a vaccination can receive one in February as part of Phase 1B2.

According to the Department of Health’s recent guidance and timeline, which health care providers are following, school employees “50 years or older” are eligible to receive their vaccines as early as February. However, school employees “under 50 years” of age will not be eligible until at least April. The Jan. 11 letter comes at a time when school districts throughout Washington are expecting many, if not all, grade levels to soon return to classrooms to potentially interact with hundreds of students per day.

While this is welcome news for many in the school community, Hawkins – who serves as the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee – believes it definitely justifies school employees (administrators, teachers, and support staff) gaining access to the vaccines now that front-line healthcare workers, first responders, and assisted living facility residents have already begun to receive vaccinations.

“School employees throughout Washington are delivering an essential service to help fulfill our state’s paramount duty,” said Hawkins. “They deserve to be prioritized with older Washingtonians, especially considering that they cannot self-isolate like many in our state. In fact, they will be doing the opposite, working indoors and in close proximity with students and staff. They absolutely should gain access to the vaccine.”

The letter, signed by the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate education committees, states: “As members of the Washington State Legislature and supporters of our educational system, we are writing to express our disappointment with the Department of Health’s recent guidance related to Washington’s COVID-19 Vaccine Phases. Based on your graphical representation of the phases and its timeline, it appears that many school district employees will not be eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID vaccine until at least April. If timelines slip and school employees are unable to receive their first dose until later in April, by the time they are fully vaccinated and gain full protection from the virus, school districts across Washington will be nearing the end of the school year. This is unacceptable.”

The letter further states: “As you know, school employees, students and families have made tremendous sacrifices during this pandemic and, like us all, they deeply hope for circumstances to return to normal soon. However, nothing will even resemble normal until our schools are fully functioning, given that they are foundational in so many ways to all Washington communities.”

(Included are links to the letter from the legislative education committee leaders to the governor and DOH, and the vaccine distribution timeline.)

More than 2,200 respond to Hawkins’ COVID-19 vaccination survey

An online survey that was emailed to more than 36,000 recipients of 12^th District Sen. Brad Hawkins’ e-newsletter revealed that a strong majority of respondents plan to receive a COVID-19 vaccination when it is available to them, but only a slight majority believed that vaccinations should be required for all public school students.

Hawkins sent the short, unscientific survey to constituents on Dec. 16. More than 2,200 people responded to the survey, which ended Dec. 28.

When asked if they planned to take a COVID-19 vaccination when it is available to them, 67 percent said “yes” while 33 percent answered “no.”
On the question of whether they believe vaccinations should be required for all public school students, 53 percent said “yes” while 47 percent responded “no.”

“Collecting feedback from the people I serve is very important to me, and I’m grateful to the 2,200 plus people who participated in my recent survey,” said Hawkins. “The COVID vaccine distribution appears to be going very well, and I’m excited for all of the medical workers, first responders, and others who are being vaccinated.

“I definitely look forward to getting vaccinated myself,” added Hawkins. “However, when it comes to developing state policy, I support individual choices. I do not believe the government should require employees to be vaccinated or force parents to vaccinate their children. The COVID vaccines are currently not approved for children yet anyway, but the policy discussions in Olympia about the COVID vaccines and other vaccines will no doubt continue into the upcoming legislative session. Between now and then, I’ll be reviewing the 86 pages of comments people provided me in response to my survey. I asked for their feedback and received a lot of it, so I’m grateful. Vaccine policy has been and will continue to be a big issue in Olympia and throughout the country.”

The 2021 legislative session begins Jan. 11 and is scheduled to last 105 days.