STATE REP. VAL OKIMOTO OPPOSES HONOLULU VACCINE PASSPORTS

Vaccine passports are coercion by another name

News Release from Office of Rep Val Okimoto, Aug 30, 2021

HONOLULU, HI—Republican State Representative Val Okimoto (R-36, Mililani Mauka, Mililani, Waipi‘o Acres) issued the following statement opposing Mayor Blangiardi's "Safe Access Oahu" Program:

"Vaccine passports made through unilateral decisions are doubling down on the idea that Government knows best. Has this attitude worked so far? No. Common sense tells me that beating the same exhausting talking points to death is literally insanity.

"Common sense tells me that if you implement a policy that segregates the vaccinated with the unvaccinated, we're inadvertently incentivizing the unvaccinated community to gather and spread COVID within their own communities.

"As a vaccinated individual and elected official, I will continue to encourage those who have not been vaccinated to do so, to protect their loved ones, their ‘ohana, and their communities. We need to lead by example, not by mandates. Pithy slogans from politicians just aren't working."

Okimoto has received both doses of the Moderna vaccine earlier this year. Yesterday, she wrote to both Mayor Blangiardi and Governor Ige opposing vaccine passports (attached). 

Attachments:               08-29-21 VO Letter to Ige, Mayor Blangiardi.