Illegal Vaccinations: Legislative Leader Lima Introducing Bill to Criminalize Line Jumping
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Calling the decision by Lifespan and Care New England to give vaccines to individuals not eligible for vaccinations under the RI’s Phase 1 guidance unconscionable and criminal, Deputy Speaker Charlene Lima is introducing legislation to, in some cases, criminalize the activity.
Non-medical board members of both Lifespan and Care New England jumped the vaccination line and received vaccinations in violation of the state's protocols.
To date, the elderly and those with multiple pre-existing health issues have yet to be vaccinated despite these two groups suffering upwards of 90% of Rhode Island's 2,058 deaths.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOn Tuesday, former Rhode Island Director of Health Dr. Michael Fine said, “I really think the Attorney General should use the power vested in him in the oversight of nonprofits to move against their nonprofit status. I don't think we should play games like this -- this is a pandemic and a time of a great sort of social instability.
House Leader on Record
Lima who represents District 14 (Cranston and Providence) tells GoLocal she had legislation drafted that will make it a felony punishable up to 3 years imprisonment for any individual, business entity, employees and owners to knowingly administer any vaccine to anyone not eligible under state-issued Phase guidelines.
“It would also make it a misdemeanor for any individual who allows themselves to be vaccinated with knowledge that they are not eligible,” said Lima.
“The excuse that because of no-shows they had extra vaccines that might spoil is nothing more than a dishonest way to get around the Phase guidelines and make life saving vaccines available to the politically connected,” said Lima.
She is the first legislative leader to push for a statute to create statutory penalties.
“Additionally, any business entity administering a vaccine to an individual not eligible may have their business licenses suspended for up to 1 year and face a fine of up to $500,000 per violation,” said Lima.
“Any individual having the authority over who gets the vaccine that deviates from the Phase eligibility guidelines is potentially a murderer. By giving a vaccine to an ineligible recipient they could potentially be signing a death warrant for those legally eligible and more susceptible to COVID-19 and its deadly consequences,” said Lima.
On Wednesday, Fine said on GoLocal LIVE, “We need to respect these kinds of basic rules and respect the needs of others as we try to stop death from this disease," said Fine. "To have hospital board members -- who have a significant public trust -- engaging in this kind of behavior...I don't think it should be tolerated by anybody."
"Both the Attorney General and the Department of Health which has considerable oversight over licensure should move clearly move decisively and begin to talk about either taking licenses away or taking away non-profit status," said Fine.
Rhode Island's most successful entrepreneur Angus Davis took to Twitter Sunday night to blast the policy. “Any board member (of a non-profit hospital no less!!) who did this should resign immediately," he Tweeted.
Fine said, “it's moral corruption…and I don't think it's just hospitals. My guess is it's hospitals and their administrative staff. It's not just board members, it's people who don't do patient care."
“My legislation would place a law on the books giving the Attorney General the tools to prosecute these despicable offenders. As it stands now there might not be an applicable law that would give the Attorney General this authority to prosecute this particular offense,” added Lima.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha's physician wife is a member of Coastal Medical and her company is presently negotiating a merger with Lifespan — the very Lifespan who vaccinated out of line.
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