Rude reacts to Inslee’s prizes for shots program
By Terry Murry on Friday, June 4th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Gov. Jay Inslee announced a number of incentives designed to encourage Washingtonians to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Called the Shot of a Lifetime, it will consist of a series of giveaways this month offering numerous prizes to vaccinated individuals.
The incentives include $2 million in lottery drawings, higher education tuition assistance, sports tickets and gear, gift cards, airline tickets, game systems and smart speakers. An estimated 63 percent of all Washingtonians 16 and older have at least begun the vaccination process. Inslee said if that figure reaches 70 percent before June 30, the state will reopen fully when it does.
Rep. Skyler Rude (R-Walla Walla) issued a short statement, condemning the incentives.
“The governor’s plan to bribe Washingtonians to make specific healthcare decisions does a disservice to all Washington residents,” he wrote. “An individual’s right to make their own healthcare decisions free of coercion is a fundamental element of individual choice.”
Rude said the government should not compel people to make personal healthcare decisions in order to win prizes.
