MONTGOMERY — Mayors from Alabama’s largest cities gathered in the state capital Monday, where they expressed concern over any new laws that would put Alabama businesses in conflict with federal COVID-19 vaccine rules.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said conflicting mandates would put local companies in a difficult position, especially those falling under the Biden administration’s new vaccine mandate rules.

“We want to make sure that we don’t place our companies into double jeopardy,” Battle said. “If you place them into double jeopardy where whatever actions they take may be an action against the laws of either the state or the federal government, then we’re not doing the job that we need to do to make sure that our industries and our companies throughout the state of Alabama are able to do what they need to do.”

Right-leaning politicians and political groups, including the Alabama Republican Party, have urged Gov. Kay Ivey and state lawmakers to enact a law banning any business from requiring employees to get vaccinated. That would contradict President Joe Biden’s directive through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandating that all employers with more than 100 workers, health facility workers or federal contract workers be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID tests. Read more.