The St. Clair County Commission has passed what is being described as a symbolic resolution coming out against things such as COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates. Commissioners Thursday evening were presented with a pair of proposed resolutions after hearing multiple public comments on the subject earlier this month. One of proposals was a “freedom of choice” resolution that declared autonomy from health department orders, the other was pared down “general welfare” resolution which stated the county would still comply with state and federal laws.
The “freedom of choice” resolution did not earn enough support for a vote, with the “general welfare” resolution being passed on a four to two margin. Commissioner Lisa Beedon, who represents the City of Port Huron, was one of two dissenting votes and says she voted against it because she supports Medical Health Officer Dr. Annette Mercatante’s approach to handling the pandemic. Speaking to WPHM, Beedon described Mercatante’s actions as being “moderate” saying there is currently no county-wide order regarding mask wearing or mandatory vaccines.
