BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a law yesterday that immediately blocks international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations, and World Economic Forum from having any “jurisdiction or power in the state.” Louisiana is the first state in the nation to reject these global organizations and assert its state sovereignty to protect its citizens and manage its own affairs.
The text of Senate Bill 133 bill reads, “The World Health Organization, United Nations, and the World Economic Forum shall have no jurisdiction or power within the state of Louisiana.”
The measure also specifically bars every political and municipal authority in the state from enforcing any “rule, regulation, fee, tax, policy, or mandate of any kind” from these global organizations.
State senators unanimously passed the measure by a vote of 37-0 while the state House passed it 69-22.
The signing of the measure coincides with the 77th World Health Assembly being held right now in Geneva, Switzerland, which began on May 27 and is expected to conclude June 1. During the Assembly, negotiators from the 196 member nations failed to pass the controversial “Pandemic Agreement” and revised International Health Regulations (IHR), which had been in the works for several years and would have ceded U.S. sovereignty and some of its resources to the WHO during health emergencies. Draft language of the proposed treaty shows the WHO requiring nations to conduct “routine immunization” and “social measures” while turning over 20 percent of all vaccines for global redistribution. Even though officials failed to finalize the treaty, the Biden administration still seeks to bind the United States to the authority of the WHO as negotiations continue toward a future treaty.
However, the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution limits the federal government only to the powers listed in the Constitution and vests all other power and authority to the states. The U.S. Supreme Court has held the Tenth Amendment prevents the federal government from dictating direct orders to the states and that the federal government can’t commandeer state and local resources. Current U.S. law and precedent also makes no provision for international organizations to dictate policy to the states or to commandeer state resources.
Louisiana State Representative Kathy Edmonston, a sponsor of SB 133, noted that any international “agreement” made by the federal government will not bind the state to go along with whatever international organizations dictate.
“We’re a sovereign state and we want to make sure that’s known in this legislation,” stated Rep. Edmonston.
Louisiana State Senator Valeri Hodges noted the purpose of the bill is to ensure the state’s autonomy and that no outside entity has the right to mandate health care for its citizens.
“We’re not living under a dictatorship and that’s pretty much what these groups want. They want to dictate American policies. So, what we’re doing is we’re putting safeguards in place to keep the people of Louisiana safe,” stated Sen. Hodges.
Liberty Counsel Action Chairman Mat Staver said, “Louisiana officials have sent a clear message that they will not tolerate the Biden administration ceding American sovereignty or foreign entities governing its citizens. American laws should be made by our elected officials not dictated to us by unelected international bureaucrats. Freedom should never be surrendered for security.”
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