RI Rep. Changes Direction, Supports Health Care Vaccine Mandate

PROVIDENCE, RI — Just one day after more than half of the members of Rhode Island's House of Representatives signed a letter criticizing the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers, one lawmaker is stepping back.

Providence Rep. Raymond Hull said Wednesday that he regretted signing on to the letter, and initially did so "at the request of several of my constituents who were rightfully concerned about their jobs."

"As our state continues to economically recover from the pandemic, their concerns about their own economic survival moved me and I agreed to sign the letter," Hull said.

The letter, signed by 33 lawmakers, called for McKee to change the mandate that all health care workers get vaccinated by Oct. 1 or potentially lost their job. Twenty-four Democrats and all but one of the chamber's 10 Republicans signed on.

In hindsight, Hull said, "I should not have signed this letter regarding mandatory vaccines for certain professions, such as healthcare workers."

"My mistake resulted from justified compassion for my constituents, but, as the Chair of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccine, I have seen the data which proves that these vaccinations are safe and effective against combating this virus and that our state’s population is better off with more of us vaccinated," Hull continued. "While I wish for no one to lose their jobs, especially after the grueling 18 months we have just experienced, I realized that I cannot advocate for an individual’s job if they are sick with COVID-19 due to an unvaccinated status."

Hull went on to voice his support for "Governor McKee’s efforts to end the pandemic and all those I have worked with during the course of our collective battle against COVID-19," before requesting that his name be removed from the letter.

Read more: 33 Lawmakers Call For Changes To RI's Health Care Vaccine Mandate