Oregon approved state employee religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination at nearly twice the rate Washington did

an oregon state police vehicle

Oregon executive branch agencies have approved religious exemptions to Gov. Kate Brown's state employee vaccine mandate at nearly double the rate as in Washington. At the Oregon State Police, 14% of employees had received religious exemptions as of Monday.Oregon State Police

Oregon has granted religious exemptions from Gov. Kate Brown’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate to at least 11% of state executive branch workers, nearly double the rate of faith-based exemptions approved for state workers in Washington.

Washington drew national headlines Monday when it fired Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich and several assistant coaches because they refused to get vaccinated. Rolovich unsuccessfully sought to keep his job by requesting a religious exemption. Data released by Washington on Tuesday shows that state has signed off on vaccine religious exemptions for a far smaller percentage of the state workforce than Oregon.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.