SD House passes broad vaccine exemption bill

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota House is passing a proposal to allow employees to avoid their workplace COVID-19 vaccine requirement by citing any objection of their conscience. The bill passed on a 37-30 vote in the Republican-controlled House. It represented a snub to a separate proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem. That bill would allow employees to avoid mandates by citing either a medical exemption, religious grounds for refusal or a test showing antibodies against COVID-19 in the last six months. House Speaker Spencer Gosch has clashed with the governor. He pushed the bill as a way to provide broad exemptions from vaccine mandates.