- Ogles consistently opposed mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, even when given authority to implement them, potentially positioning himself against public health guidance during surges and risking criticism for prioritizing personal liberty over collective safety (Daily Herald, Tennessean).
- He linked state and federal COVID regulations to economic harm and repeatedly called for early lifting of restrictions, drawing praise from some but strong criticism from others who saw his approach as undermining coordinated pandemic response (Daily Herald, Daily Herald).
- Ogles often cited constitutional or legal concerns to reject mandates, but was challenged for potentially overstating these issues and for promoting personal responsibility over enforceable measures, raising questions about the adequacy of his public health leadership (Columbia Daily Herald, Leaf-Chronicle).
- His public comments sometimes minimized the severity of the pandemic, drew backlash for statements such as calling COVID a "fake pandemic" (later clarified), and for comparing COVID risks to car accidents and the flu, which opponents argued undermined trust in the seriousness of the crisis (FOX 17, Daily Herald).
- Ogles took highly visible symbolic actions against vaccine mandates—including issuing a county-level emergency and voicing willingness to go to jail rather than enforce federal vaccine or mask orders—which, while boosting his conservative credentials, may alienate moderate voters or those prioritizing public health (Daily Herald, Tennessean).
2020: Andy Ogles Formed 'Andy’s Army TN' Facebook Group To Oppose Mask Mandates According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles has long opposed mandates requiring Tennesseans to wear a face covering [...] As part of his ongoing effort to oppose a statewide mask mandate, and to build his own base of followers, the county's elected chief executive has formed a private Facebook group named 'Andy’s Army TN.'” [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Opposed Mask Mandates As Unconstitutional Without State Legislation According to Daily Herald, "Ogles repeatedly stated that a mandate would 'infringe' on the freedom of the state's residents, arguing that the requirement would be unconstitutional without its implementation as a law by the state legislature." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Social Distancing Over Mask Mandates According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor does, however, encourage members of the community to social distance and take precautions." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Ogles Stated Masks 'Have a Role' But Warned They Do Not Make People Invincible According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles said masks "have a role, but they do not make you invincible."' [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Declined To Issue County Mask Mandate For Maury County According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles issued a public statement Tuesday, saying that he would not ‘infringe’ on the freedom of residents by issuing a mandate for masks in public." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Public To Pickup Free Masks At Health Department According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles encouraged members of the public Wednesday to seek out masks now available at the Maury County Health Department." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Voluntary Mask Use And Social Distancing According to Columbia Daily Herald, "As I stated yesterday in my press conference, COVID is serious," Ogles said. "I encourage social distancing, I encourage you to be careful, to be kind AND yes wear a mask when applicable." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Opposed Mask Mandates In Maury County According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County mayor said he will not issue a mandate to require masks that would 'infringe' on personal liberties." [Daily Herald, 7/7/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Opposed Statewide Mask Mandate In Tennessee According to WKRN, "Something the Maury County Mayor, Andy Ogles, recently told News 2 he opposes. 'I’m a firm believer the mask mandate as it’s currently written is unconstitutional. If you want a mask mandated in the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee legislature needs to convene and address that,' Ogles said." [WKRN, 11/11/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged At-Risk Individuals To Wear Face Coverings According to Daily Herald, "He encouraged members of the public who are ‘at-risk’ to wear face coverings." [Daily Herald, 9/16/20]
2021: Ogles Consistently Voiced Opposition To COVID-19-Related Mandates According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles, Republican representatives and the Maury County Republican Party have consistently voiced uniform opposition to mandates set in place amid the pandemic, opposing restrictions on businesses and mask mandates early in the pandemic and now vaccination requirements set in place by the federal government's executive branch." [Columbia Daily Herald, 11/18/21]
August 2022: Andy Ogles Opposed Federal COVID Mandates As Maury County Mayor According to Tennessee Lookout, "When he stood up against the (COVID) mandates, that was really important to me because I don’t believe the government should be telling me what to do in our own town," said Helena O’Neal, who volunteered to help the Ogle campaign. [Tennessee Lookout, 8/5/22]
2022: Ogles Criticized Federal COVID-19 Mandates And Refused Enforcement According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles has received much praise and criticism from both sides over his staunch position against enforcing COVID-19 mandates such as wearing masks and requiring workers at businesses with more than 100 employees to get vaccinated. He joined two-thirds of the mayors across Tennessee who did not enforce a mask requirement during the pandemic." [Daily Herald, 3/22/22]
2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Federal Mask And Vaccine Mandates According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles also pushed back against the recent federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposal that would require employees at companies with 100 or more workers to wear masks. Ogles also opposes federal mandates for healthcare workers but supports medical and religious exemptions." [Columbia Daily Herald, 2/17/22]
April 2024: Andy Ogles Introduced Legislation To Ban Federal COVID-19 Mask Mandates According to Ledger, Knoxville Edition, "introducing a bill just a couple of weeks ago to 'prohibit the use of Federal funds to establish, implement or enforce any COVID-19 mask mandate.'" [Ledger: Knoxville Edition (Tennessee), 4/26/24]
2024: Ogles Introduced Bill To Ban Federal COVID-19 Mask Mandates According to The Ledger: Nashville Edition, "He's also still a reliable anti-COVID-measures warrior, introducing a bill just a couple of weeks ago to 'prohibit the use of Federal funds to establish, implement or enforce any COVID-19 mask mandate.'" [Ledger: Nashville Edition, 4/26/24]
October 2019: Andy Ogles Received Flu Vaccination And Encouraged Community Immunization According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles and Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder made a visit to Maury Regional Medical Center to be inoculated with year's vaccination for the illness. They encouraged members of the community to do the same to avoid the effects of influenza." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 10/30/19]
October 2019: Ogles Advocated Flu Vaccination To Prevent Cycle Of Infection According to Daily Herald, 'There is no reason not to get vaccinated,' Ogles said. 'We want to break that cycle of infection and stop it before it occurs.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 10/30/19]
October 2019: Ogles Promoted Healthy Lifestyles As Community Leader According to Daily Herald, 'Andy and I both want to promote healthy lifestyles and healthy living, and a part of that is immunizing yourself on the front end so you can avoid some illness on the back end,' Molder said. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 10/30/19]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Maury County Residents To Stay Home To Prevent COVID-19 Spread According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said, as he encouraged constituents to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus." [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Residents To Stay Home During COVID-19 Outbreak According to Daily Herald, "I encourage everyone in Middle Tennessee to stay at home," Ogles said. "Do your part. Stay at home and utilize these to-go and take out services." [Daily Herald, 4/3/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Maury County Residents To Stay Home During COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, "the mayor continues to call on the public to stay home and take additional safety precautions." [Daily Herald, 4/6/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Continued Social Distancing In Maury County According to Daily Herald, '"Should I stay home? Absolutely. Absolutely. We are well positioned but this model is only true if we continue to practice safe social distancing. It is up to us to do the right thing."' [Daily Herald, 4/7/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Called For Protection Of At-Risk Populations And Social Distancing As Economy Reopened According to The Daily Herald, "With the push to reopen, Ogles said the community must still work to protect those at risk and practice social distancing as the region begins to return to work." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/21/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Described Safety Measures At Local Restaurants Amid COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, 'The staff had face masks, they had paper menus and the tables were spread apart,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/28/20]
May 2020: Andy Ogles Called For All COVID-19 Restrictions To Be Lifted In Tennessee According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles took to social media telling residents that now is the time to reopen the state. Ogles told The Daily Herald that he is sending a formal letter to Gov. Bill Lee requesting that Maury County be held exempt from all executive orders implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 5/28/20]
May 2020: Ogles Emphasized Continued Precautions Despite Push For Reopening According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles said precautions can continue to be taken as the World Health Organization warns of a second peak of the virus in the months ahead." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 5/28/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Urged Lifting of COVID-19 Restrictions in Maury County According to a letter to the editor published in The Daily Herald, "The purpose of this letter is to formally ask you to cease all remaining restrictions created by your executive orders as relating to Maury County. Simply put, social distancing mandates are serving as a damper on our economic recovery, slowing down what should by all measures be a robust return to normal. In short, their continued presence, with all due respect, are doing more harm than good." [Letter to the Editor - The Daily Herald, 6/4/20]
June 2020: Maury County Mayor Ogles Urged Governor Lee To Lift COVID-19 Restrictions According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles continued his push in calling on Gov. Bill Lee to lift all restrictions associated with the coronavirus. [...] 'It is time to lift restrictions certainly for Maury County but for all of Tennessee,' Ogles said during a Friday broadcast from his office in the Maury County Courthouse. 'We have got to get our economy back open. It's not as contagious and it's not as lethal as we originally thought.'" [Daily Herald, 6/6/20]
May 2020: Andy Ogles Publicly Requested Gov. Bill Lee Exempt Maury County From State COVID-19 Orders According to Daily Herald, 'At the time, Ogles said it was “imperative” that the state reopen its economy and formally requested Gov. Bill Lee to hold Maury County exempt from all executive orders implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.' [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Indicated Reliance On Governor For Further COVID-19 Guidance Ahead Of Holiday According to Daily Herald, 'The county mayor said he is looking toward Gov. Bill Lee and his office for additional guidance in the days leading up to the holiday.' [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Public Mask Wearing In Maury County According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles called on southern Middle Tennesseans to wear masks, especially those with preexisting conditions, while in public situations or in close proximity with others." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/2/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Social Distancing For At-Risk Individuals According to The Daily Herald, "He also encouraged those with preexisting conditions to continue to socially distance." [...] 'If you are at risk ... please make sure you are social distancing,' Ogles said. 'Make sure that you are limiting exposure and make sure you are wearing a mask.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/2/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Declined To Issue A Mask Mandate In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles says no mask mandate will be issued in response to Gov. Bill Lee's Executive Order 54 allowing for county mayors to maintain authority on mask requirements." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/8/20]
July 2020: Ogles Cited Personal Responsibility As Reason Against Mask Mandate According to Daily Herald, "His point in not issuing a mandate came down to it being about personal responsibility, something he believes Maury County citizens should decide among themselves, not their government." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/8/20]
July 2020: Ogles Consulted Medical And Legal Advisors Before Decision According to Daily Herald, "This was a decision that I did not make lightly, and as I made this decision I sought medical advice from those directly treating COVID-19. I sought legal opinion, studied and scoured the numbers looking at unbiased data and trendiness," Ogles said. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/8/20]
July 2020: Ogles Encouraged Mask Use But Opposed Mandates According to Daily Herald, "Ogles stressed that he is not against wearing masks, and that they do serve as a beneficial safety precaution in preventing the potential spread of COVID-19. [...] 'Masks are not a perfect solution, but they can help in containing virus particles that you may shed while talking, coughing or sneezing,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/8/20]
2020: James Bennett Criticized Andy Ogles For Not Mandating Masks During COVID-19 Surge According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles should have mandated masks Tuesday to stop spread of the coronavirus, which has flared in Tennessee because the public has not listened to pleas for social distancing. If only for two weeks, masks in public would have been the right decree. Instead, the Republican mayor lost himself in the weeds of arguing about personal liberty rather prioritizing public health and the reopening of the local economy." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Did Not Implement Mask Mandate In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "Ogles issued a public statement Tuesday, saying that he would not 'infringe' on the freedom of residents by issuing a mandate for masks in public." [Daily Herald, 7/9/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Voluntary Mask Use And Social Distancing According to Daily Herald, "'As I stated yesterday in my press conference, COVID is serious,' Ogles said. 'I encourage social distancing, I encourage you to be careful, to be kind AND yes wear a mask when applicable.'" [Daily Herald, 7/9/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Consulted Health Professionals Before Declining Mask Mandate According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said his decision was made after consulting health professionals and reviewing legal opinions and making the argument that it is still more likely for a resident of the state to die from an automobile accident or the flu rather than the coronavirus." [Daily Herald, 7/9/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Distributed Free Masks Through Health Department According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles encouraged members of the public Wednesday to seek out masks now available at the Maury County Health Department." [Daily Herald, 7/9/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Declined To Issue Mask Mandate In Maury County According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who said he would not issue a mandatory mandate for masks to be worn in public, offered his condolences to the fellow local leader." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/17/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Public Health Measures Without Mandate According to The Daily Herald, 'The county mayor encouraged members of the public to continue taking active steps to prevent the spread of the virus. "Mayor Molder was an avid mask user, so wash your hands and social distance," Ogles said. "Where applicable, wear a mask. The masks are helpful but they are not going to trap 100% of particles [...] Prayers for all of those across Tennessee and the nation who have been impacted by COVID-19."' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/17/20]
2020: James Bennett Reported Andy Ogles Refused To Mandate Masks In Maury County According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "Ogles, a hard-right conservative, has gained ground politically with his stance against masks. [...] Ogles said in announcing he would not mandate masks in Maury County." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/18/20]
September 2020: Mayor Ogles Defended Not Mandating Masks For Fair Attendees According to The Tennessean, 'I am 100% convinced in not issuing a mandate,' Ogles said. 'I don't believe that, as written, that it's constitutional, and I took an oath to uphold the law.' [The Tennessean, 9/1/20]
August 2020: Andy Ogles Cited Constitutional Concerns In Opposing A Mask Mandate At The Fair According to Daily Herald, 'I am 100% convinced in not issuing a mandate,' Ogles said. 'I don't believe that, as written, that it's constitutional, and I took an oath to uphold the law.' [Daily Herald, 9/1/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Opposed Mask Mandate Amid COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, a conservative leader who refused to implement a mask mandate earlier this year, continues to push forward in support of the state reopening its businesses and schools." [Daily Herald, 9/11/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Emphasized Choice And Resilience During COVID-19 Response According to Daily Herald, 'It is about choice, it's about freedom, it's about life,' Ogles said. 'There was never a promise that this virus was going to go away. Now we are fighting it and we are living with it. Life is going to continue, if we allow it, and that is key. We have got to learn the next couple of months.' [Daily Herald, 9/11/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged At-Risk Public To Wear Face Coverings During COVID-19 According to The Daily Herald, "He encouraged members of the public who are 'at-risk' to wear face coverings." [The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/17/20]
December 2020: Ogles Created Online Group 'Andy's Army TN' Against Mask Mandates According to Daily Herald, "As part of his ongoing effort to oppose a statewide mask mandate, and to build his own base of followers, the county's elected chief executive has formed a private Facebook group named 'Andy's Army TN.'" [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Ogles Encouraged Social Distancing But Opposed Viewing Masks As Invincibility According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor does, however, encourage members of the community to social distance and take precautions. [...] Ogles said masks 'have a role, but they do not make you invincible.' 'COVID is real,' Ogles said. 'We need to encourage people to be socially responsible. We know who is at risk. Take precautions. It is that simple.'" [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Ogles Called For All COVID-19 Restrictions To Be Lifted In May According to The Daily Herald, "In May 2020, Ogles called for all COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2020: Ogles Opposed Mask Mandate And Cited Constitutional Concerns According to The Daily Herald, "Two months later, the mayor said he would not infringe on the rights of his constituents by implementing a mask mandate, arguing that Gov. Bill Lee's executive order placing the decision in the hands of county executives, or mayors, was unconstitutional." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Mask Mandates And Executive Orders Limiting Business Operations According to Daily Herald, "Throughout the pandemic, Ogles has maintained his conservative views, staunchly opposing mask mandates and Lee's executive orders for businesses to restrict operations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Drawing praise and criticism, Ogles never placed a mask mandate on Maury County, even though Lee previously gave the authority to county mayors." [Daily Herald, 6/13/21]
2020-2021: Andy Ogles Did Not Implement A COVID-19 Mask Mandate In Maury County As Mayor According to The Daily Herald, "The way Maury County leaders have led the county during COVID-19, such as Mayor Andy Ogles not implementing a mask mandate resonates with some." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/19/21]
2020-2021: Andy Ogles Never Placed A Mask Mandate On Maury County During COVID-19 Despite Authority From Governor According to The Daily Herald, "Although county mayors had authority from the governor, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles never placed a mask mandate on the county during COVID-19." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/19/21]
2020-2021: Mayor Andy Ogles Declined To Institute Countywide Mask Mandate During COVID-19 According to The Tennessean, "The way Maury County leaders have led the county during COVID-19, such as Mayor Andy Ogles not implementing a mask mandate, resonates with some. Although county mayors had authority from the governor, Ogles never instituted a mask mandate on the county during COVID-19." [The Tennessean, 7/20/21]
2021: Andy Ogles' COVID-19 Policies Cited By Homebuyers In Moving Decisions According to The Tennessean, "People say they are looking for a simpler life, lower home prices, lower taxes and less stringent mandates regarding COVID. [...] The way Maury County leaders have led the county during COVID-19, such as Mayor Andy Ogles not implementing a mask mandate, resonates with some." [The Tennessean, 7/20/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Mask And Vaccine Mandates For Children According to Daily Herald, "No one should be mandated to take the vaccine or wear a mask,' Ogles said. 'I think it's time that we accept that COVID-19 is here, end mandates for children and protect all Tennesseans from all vaccine mandates. [...] Even in times of COVID, we can't throw away our Constitution or throw away our state laws.'" [Daily Herald, 8/15/21]
Ogles Opposed Local Mask Mandates During COVID-19 Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Ogles has gained a reputation across the state for rejecting the implementation of a local mask mandate. He explains that giving the governor power to allow mayors to mandate masks across the state violates the state constitution." [Daily Herald, 10/5/21]
Ogles Emphasized Lack Of Legal Authority For Mask Mandates According to Daily Herald, Ogles said, 'No where in the state constitution do I have that authority [...] No where in state law did I have that authority, and I refused to accept that authority. That is not what government is designed to do.' [Daily Herald, 10/5/21]
Andy Ogles Consistently Opposed COVID-19 Mandates Including Business Restrictions And Mask Requirements According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who also serves as chairman of the Maury County Republican Party, has consistently voiced uniform opposition to mandates set in place amid the pandemic, opposing restrictions on businesses and county mask mandates early during the pandemic, now opposing vaccination requirements." [Daily Herald, 1/13/22]
Andy Ogles Opposed COVID-19 Mandates And Restrictions Early In The Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who also serves as chairman of the Maury County Republican Party, has consistently voiced uniform opposition to mandates set in place amid the pandemic, opposing restrictions on businesses and county mask mandates early during the pandemic, now opposing vaccination requirements." [Daily Herald, 1/18/22]
Andy Ogles Opposed COVID-19 Restrictions And Mandates Since Early In The Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who also serves as chairman of the Maury County Republican Party, has consistently voiced uniform opposition to mandates set in place amid the pandemic, opposing restrictions on businesses and county mask mandates early during the pandemic, now opposing vaccination requirements." [Daily Herald, 1/19/22]
Ogles And MCRP Opposed County-wide COVID-19 Mandates And Vaccine Requirements According to The Tennessean, "MCRP has supported Ogles' stance against enforcing COVID-19 mandates such as requiring face coverings county-wide and rejecting vaccine requirements for workers at companies with 100 or more employees." [Tennessean, 4/12/22]
Andy Ogles Opposed Enforcing COVID-19 Mandates According to Daily Herald, "MCRP has supported Ogles' stance against enforcing COVID-19 mandates such as requiring face coverings county-wide and rejecting vaccine requirements for workers at companies with 100 or more employees." [Daily Herald, 4/12/22]
2022: Andy Ogles Campaigned Against State and Federal COVID-19 Mandates According to a letter to the editor published in Tennessee Tribune, "Ogles actively campaigned against State and Federal mandates by holding the 'Freedom Matters' tour where he recruited other elected officials and TN citizens to standup against government overreach with the town hall meetings consistently drawing crowds between 500 and 800 individuals, (small crowds)". [Letter to the Editor - Tennessee Tribune, 5/26/22]
2022: Andy Ogles Advocated for Freedom and Against Federal Overreach During COVID-19 According to a letter to the editor published in Tennessee Tribune, "During COVID I never wavered, I fought for freedom and liberty in the face of threats, and I will fight for Tennessee against a Federal government that has gone too far and grown too powerful," said Ogles. [Letter to the Editor - Tennessee Tribune, 5/26/22]
August 2022: Ogles Opposed COVID-19 Mandates As Maury County Mayor According to Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee), "When he stood up against the (COVID-19) mandates, that was really important to me because I don't believe the government should be telling me what to do in our own town," said Helena O'Neal, who volunteered to help the Ogles campaign. [Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee), 8/7/22]
Ogles Opposed Coronavirus-Related Regulations As Mayor According to Tennessean, “He’s called himself Tennessee’s most conservative mayor after pushing back on all coronavirus-related regulations during the early months of the pandemic.” [Tennessean, 10/23/22]
Ogles Opposed Coronavirus-Related Regulations As County Mayor In Early Pandemic According to The Leaf-Chronicle, "He's called himself Tennessee's most conservative mayor after pushing back on all coronavirus-related regulations during the early months of the pandemic." [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/24/22]
2021: Ogles Opposed COVID-19 Mask Mandates As Maury County Mayor According to The Leaf-Chronicle, 'He refused to institute a county-wide mask mandate, citing the personal liberties of area residents and businesses and even criticized Republican Gov. Bill Lee for abusing his power by supporting statewide public health guidance.' [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/30/22]
2021: Ogles Assisted Families With Religious Exemptions To Williamson County Schools' Mask Mandate According to The Leaf-Chronicle, 'When Williamson County Schools instituted a district-wide mask mandate, he said he would sign families' religious exemption requests or connect families with pastors who could.' [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/30/22]
Ogles Refused To Institute A County-Wide Mask Mandate As Maury County Mayor During COVID-19 According to The Jackson Sun, "He refused to institute a county-wide mask mandate, citing the personal liberties of area residents and businesses and even criticized Republican Gov. Bill Lee for abusing his power by supporting statewide public health guidance." [Jackson Sun, 10/31/22]
Ogles Refused To Institute Countywide Mask Mandate As Maury County Mayor During COVID-19 According to Knoxville News-Sentinel, "He refused to institute a countywide mask mandate, citing the personal liberties of area residents and businesses and even criticized Republican Gov. Bill Lee for abusing his power by supporting statewide public health guidance." [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 10/31/22]
Ogles Offered To Sign Religious Exemption Requests For School Mask Mandate According to Knoxville News-Sentinel, "When Williamson County Schools instituted a districtwide mask mandate, he said he would sign families' religious exemption requests or connect families with pastors who could." [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 10/31/22]
Ogles Refused County-Wide COVID-19 Mask Mandate As Maury County Mayor According to The Daily Herald, "He refused to institute a county-wide mask mandate, citing the personal liberties of area residents and businesses and even criticized Republican Gov. Bill Lee for abusing his power by supporting statewide public health guidance." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 10/31/22]
Ogles Offered Religious Exemptions To Mask Mandates For Families At Williamson County Schools According to The Daily Herald, "When Williamson County Schools instituted a district-wide mask mandate, he said he would sign families' religious exemption requests or connect families with pastors who could." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 10/31/22]
2020: Ogles Linked COVID Regulations To Economic Harm In Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "Ogles has also repeatedly shared the viewpoint that regulations set in place in an effort to quell the spread of the virus have dramatically impeded on the state's economy." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Ogles Supported Dave Ramsey After Holiday Party Controversy According to Daily Herald, "Last week, Ogles spoke in support of Williamson County finance consultant Dave Ramsey who was scrutinized for hosting a holiday party at his Franklin headquarters." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Called On Local Businesses To Take COVID-19 Precautions According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles is calling on local businesses to take precautions to prevent the spread of illness in southern Middle Tennessee." [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Requested Lowe’s In Columbia Take More COVID-19 Safety Measures According to Daily Herald, "Ogles specifically called on Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse in Columbia to take additional precautions to protect both employees and patrons." [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Praised Lowe’s Columbia Location For Enhanced Precautions According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said the local operation has since shifted and is now taking even more precautions than the company is calling for." [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Thanked Columbia Lowe’s Managers For COVID-19 Actions According to Daily Herald, 'I appreciate the work they are doing to protect our community,' Ogles said. 'I want to thank the local managers for being ahead of what Lowe's corporate is doing. They understood they needed to make more changes.' [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Said County Government Employees Would Begin Staggering Shifts According to Daily Herald, 'Starting Monday, county government employees will begin staggering shifts to further the distance of employees from one another.' [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Stated Local Government Offices Implemented Closures Or Appointment-Only Operations According to Daily Herald, 'Last month, all city and county government meetings, the Maury County Clerk's Office lobby, the Maury County Archives and the Maury County Trustee's Office, were closed or strictly began operating by-appointment only.' [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Praised Walmart And Aldi For Promoting Social Distancing According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles also praised the precautions taken by Columbia's Walmart and Aldi to encourage social distancing by enacting single-file lines and added cleanliness.' [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Criticized Lack Of State Guidance On Reopening Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, a registered Republican, also shared concerns for a lack of guidance leaning toward the state executive to take additional steps to reopening the state. The county mayor emphasized the extended closure has an estimated $5 billion impact on Tennessee and created a state deficit in the hundreds of millions. 'I think we are all hoping for more guidance,' said Ogles. 'At some point we need to move forward. I would like to see everyone move together. How do we coordinate a plan if it is not coming from the top down? At some point common sense has to prevail.'" [Daily Herald, 4/26/20]
May 2020: Ogles Argued Maury County Was Ready To Reopen Due To Low COVID-19 Case Count According to The Daily Herald, "We have a regional hospital that serves multiple counties and even then we have a very low case count. There is no reason why we should continue to be under the boot heel of executive orders." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 5/28/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Called for Local Rather Than Centralized COVID-19 Decision-Making According to a letter to the editor published in The Daily Herald, "The one-size-fits-all approach that might have been necessary in the early stages should give-way to local, if not individual control." [Letter to the Editor - The Daily Herald, 6/4/20]
June 2020: Ogles Criticized State-Imposed Regulations Impacting Local Businesses According to Daily Herald, "He said the regulations are keeping some local restaurants and businesses closed, especially those with a smaller indoor footprint." [Daily Herald, 6/6/20]
June 2020: Ogles Urged Governor Lee To Return Control To Mayors According to Daily Herald, 'We have got to be proactive. We have got to get back to business,' Ogles said. 'Governor - Love ya, but you have got to give control back to your mayors,' Ogles said. 'You have got to trust us to us to manage our economies and our businesses. You have to trust on our citizens to manage themselves.'" [Daily Herald, 6/6/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Favored Personal Choice On School Masking Decisions According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "The next question will be whether students should be wearing masks to school when they reopen. Ogles already has gone on record favoring personal choice." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
2020: Ogles Criticized State COVID-19 Regulations' Economic Impacts According to Daily Herald, "Alongside the county's fellow Republican leaders, Ogles has also repeatedly shared the viewpoint that regulations set in place in an effort to quell the spread of the virus have dramatically impeded on the state's economy." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
Ogles Opposed Federal And State COVID-19 Mandates And Supported Exemptions According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles also pushed back against the recent federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposal that would require employees at companies with 100 or more workers to wear masks. Ogles also opposes federal mandates for healthcare workers but supports medical and religious exemptions.' [Daily Herald, 2/17/22]
Ogles And MCRP Criticized Governor Lee's COVID-19 Mandate Orders According to The Tennessean, "Ogles and the MCRP have previously criticized the governor's use of executive orders during the pandemic, calling on the Tennessee General Assembly to intervene instead." [Tennessean, 4/12/22]
Andy Ogles Criticized Governor's Pandemic Executive Orders According to Daily Herald, "Ogles and the MCRP have previously criticized the governor's use of executive orders during the pandemic, calling on the Tennessee General Assembly to intervene instead." [Daily Herald, 4/12/22]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Advocated For Large Gatherings And Business Reopenings In Rural Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who has remained a staunch advocate for the state, especially its rural communities, to continue hosing large gatherings and allowing businesses to return to a relative normal." [Daily Herald, 9/16/20]
Andy Ogles Stated He Opposed Government Mandates And Kept Economy Open During COVID According to Columbia Daily Herald, Ogles said, 'During COVID, I kept our economy open, said no to government mandates and fought for our right to choose and keep our medical freedoms.' [Columbia Daily Herald, 4/14/22]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Use Of Curbside Services From Local Businesses According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor urges the public to continue taking advantage of the curbside services offered by Maury County's local businesses. 'There are a lot of small businesses out there trying to feed our community; trying to facilitate our community,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Supported Reopening Economies In Rural Tennessee Counties With Precautions According to The Daily Herald, "I am ready to get back to business," Ogles said in an afternoon update on Monday. "Our economy is struggling. We need to continue to take precautions. Especially in the more rural areas - like Maury County and Lawrence County - there are businesses that can open back up as long as we are taking precautions." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/21/20]
2020: Ogles Supported Tennessee's Reopening Amid COVID-19 Concerns According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles support of the state's reopening continues as a group of Tennessee doctors are calling on Gov. Bill Lee and other state leaders to take fiercer action and slow the reopening of the state in response to rising infections and hospitalizations from coronavirus.' [Daily Herald, 6/15/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Supported Reopening Local Businesses Despite COVID-19 Increase According to Daily Herald, 'In recent weeks, the county mayor has remained an avid supporter of the state allowing smaller regional communities like Maury County and Columbia to continue reopening businesses and reviving restrictions placed on them in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.' [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Requested Lifting Of COVID-19 Restrictions In June According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "Ogles already backed himself into a corner. He was among local leaders who wrote to Lee in June, asking him to eliminate all restrictions related to the coronavirus." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
September 2020: Mayor Ogles Publicly Supported Mitigation Efforts While Maintaining Event Capacity According to The Tennessean, "Ogles added that the fair will not be limiting the amount of guests, as it is an outdoor event with enough capacity." [The Tennessean, 9/1/20]
August 2020: Andy Ogles Indicated No Limit Would Be Set On Fair Attendance According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles added that the fair will not be limiting the amount of guests, as it is an outdoor event with enough capacity.' [Daily Herald, 9/1/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Supported Large Gatherings For Economic Recovery According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles, who has remained a staunch advocate for the state, especially its rural communities, to continue hosing large gatherings and allowing businesses to return to a relative normal." [The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/17/20]
December 2020: Ogles Supported Dave Ramsey Amid Criticism For Holiday Party During Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Last week, Ogles spoke in support of Williamson County finance consultant Dave Ramsey who was scrutinized for hosting a holiday party at his Franklin headquarters." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2022: Ogles Opposed Vaccine And Mask Mandates But Did Not State Anti-Vaccine Stance According to The Daily Herald, "Although Ogles says he is not 'anti-vaccine,' he is against federal government mandates that would require the vaccine or masks instead of giving citizens a choice." [Daily Herald, 3/22/22]
August 2020: Mayor Andy Ogles Advised Public Health Measures According to Daily Herald, '"Wash your hands, social distance and where applicable wear a mask," Ogles said.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 8/25/20]
September 2020: Mayor Andy Ogles Described Fair Decision As 'Complicated' But Expressed Faith In Social Distancing According to The Tennessean, "Last week, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles told FOX17 News the decision to continue with the fair was a 'complicated one,' but that he has faith visitors will know how they can properly social distance." [The Tennessean, 9/1/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Opposed COVID-19 Public Health Restrictions According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor has remained staunchly opposed to measures and restrictions set in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. [...] Ogles promised in July 2020 that he would not issue a mandate requiring face masks to be worn in public." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
2020: Andy Ogles Criticized Economic Impact Of COVID-19 Restrictions According to Daily Herald, Ogles "has also repeatedly shared the viewpoint that regulations set in place in an effort to quell the spread of the virus have dramatically impeded the state's economy, sharing a similar message offered by leaders of the Maury County Republican Party." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
August 2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Mask And Vaccine Mandates According to Daily Herald, "'No one should be mandated to take the vaccine or wear a mask,' Ogles said. 'I think it's time that we accept that COVID-19 is here, end mandates for children and protect all Tennesseans from all vaccine mandates. If you get COVID, immediately contact your doctor and request aggressive treatment. Even in times of COVID, we can't throw away our Constitution or throw away our state laws.'" [Daily Herald, 8/18/21]
August 11, 2021: Andy Ogles Called For Legislative Session Against Mask Mandates According to Daily Herald, "Ogles criticized Lee in a proclamation on Aug. 11 for allowing school boards to mandate masks on campuses. In the proclamation, he suggested that the legislature hold a special session to protect the freedoms of Tennesseans, regarding mask and vaccine mandates." [Daily Herald, 8/18/21]
Spring 2021: Andy Ogles Criticized Governor Lee's COVID-19 Executive Orders As 'Abuses Of Power' According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles has called Lee's executive orders 'abuses of power' by overstepping the legislature. Ogles previously stated that the executive orders brought on by the pandemic have muddied the waters between the two roles of state government, such as county mayors being able to place mask mandates on counties, which he says is unconstitutional." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/7/21]
Spring 2021: Andy Ogles Pleaded For Special Legislative Session On COVID-19 Mandates According to The Daily Herald, "Last spring, the party joined Maury County Republican Party Chairman Andy Ogles, also county mayor, in pleading with Lee to call a special session." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/7/21]
2021: Ogles And Maury County Republican Leaders Opposed COVID-19 Mandates According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, Republican representatives and the Maury County Republican Party have consistently voiced uniform opposition to mandates set in place amid the pandemic, opposing restrictions on businesses and mask mandates early in the pandemic and now vaccination requirements set in place by the federal government's executive branch." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/21/21]
November 2021: Ogles Claimed Executive Branch Abused Power Over Health Mandates According to Daily Herald, 'There has been a consistent abuse of power by the executive branch of the United States," Ogles said. "No power to regulate health and medical practices was delegated to the United States ... If there is ever a time to unite, stand together and fight, it is now. I will leverage every tool at my disposal to protect this county and all the residents who reside here. I am resolute in my conviction, and I will not relent.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/21/21]
August 2020: Ogles Called COVID-19 Pandemic ‘Fake’ In Facebook Post, Later Clarified According to FOX 17, "Another post that concerned people is where Mayor Ogles said, in part, that he is ‘tired of this fake pandemic that has destroyed the economy.’ [...] But, Ogles wanted to clear that up as well. ‘COVID-19 is real, but the hysteria behind it is fake,’ he says." [FOX 17, 8/19/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Advocated For Personal Liberty Over Mandating Masks According to Columbia Daily Herald, "I, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, choose not to infringe on your liberty, but rather to stand in the gap," he said. "This is a decision that I have not made lightly. My point is about perspective, about proportional response. We have flattened the curve. We have slowed the spread." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Emphasized The Importance Of Communities Returning To Normal During The Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Ogles shared an estimated attendance between 3,000 and 3,500 this week continuing to emphasize his opinion that it remained essential that communities return to normal amid the ongoing pandemic." [Daily Herald, 9/16/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Expressed Confidence In Overcoming COVID-19, Acknowledging Challenges According to Daily Herald, '"We are going to get through COVID-19," Ogles said. 'That doesn't mean it is going to be easy.'" [Daily Herald, 9/16/20]
August 2021: Ogles Encouraged Tennessee Residents To Contact Legislators About COVID-19 Policies According to WKRN, "Ogles has also asked Tennessee residents to reach out to their legislators and added, 'I pray that we will have preserved freedom for generations to come.'" [WKRN, 8/11/21]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Calm And Precaution During Early COVID-19 Outbreak According to Daily Herald, "Amid the coronavirus's arrival in Tennessee, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles took to social media, encouraging the public to remain calm, take precautions and continue seeking the advice of healthcare providers." [Daily Herald, 3/14/20]
March 2020: Ogles Advocated Transparency In Maury County COVID-19 Response According to Daily Herald, "As county mayor, I am responsible for the response to this virus here in Maury County," Ogles said. "Any information that I have, I will give to you. There will be full transparency from this office. There is no reason to panic. There is no reason to feel that you are in the dark." [Daily Herald, 3/14/20]
March 2020: Ogles Directed Residents To Hotlines For COVID-19 Guidance According to Daily Herald, "Both the Columbia-based Maury Regional Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville are participating in a hotline that is designed to help the public determine if they should be tested for the COVID-19. [...] A local hotline available through Maury Regional Health and operated by local health professionals is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. [...] 'They can screen you to let you know if and when you should be tested,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald, 3/14/20]
March 2020: Ogles Cautioned Against Overuse Of Emergency Rooms During COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, "Only those who are experience a medical emergency should visit the emergency room, the mayor said. 'Do the smart thing,' Ogles said. 'If you are gravely ill go to the emergency room if you need to.'" [Daily Herald, 3/14/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Vigilance Despite Stable COVID-19 Numbers According to The Daily Herald, 'Let's not be complacent because our numbers are holding where they are,' Ogles said. 'Practice your social distancing only when you have too. As a business do those things to ensure that you are protecting your employees.' [Daily Herald, 3/27/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Residents To Stay Home Amid COVID-19 By Citing Official Guidance According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles continues to encourage the public to follow the precedent set by Gov. Bill Lee on Monday, calling for a "safer at home" order.' and 'Stay at home,' Ogles told residents during a live broadcast on his Facebook account on Tuesday. 'You have to buckle down and do what your president, governor and city and county mayor are telling you to do.' [Daily Herald, 4/1/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Said Maury County Offices Continued Operations With Precautions During COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles said the county's staff continue to work from the county's offices but precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus including limited public access.' [Daily Herald, 4/1/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Expressed Hope That Tennessee Could 'Beat The Curve' On COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, "In Tennessee, we don't have a major city, like New York or Chicago, so my hope is that we can beat the curve," Ogles said. "We all need to start doing more. We are going to have to do a better job of staying at home." [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Warned About Potential Overwhelm Of Healthcare System According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said. 'Our healthcare system, if hit rapidly, could become overwhelmed. We make decisions based on the best information we have at the moment and it is a constantly evolving landscape. We can defeat that curve but it is dependent on you.'" [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Cited Worsening COVID-19 Trends In Tennessee And Urged Compliance With State Order According to Daily Herald, "There is a clear trend in the wrong direction for the state of Tennessee," Ogles said. "Do what the governor has asked you to do. Yes this is scary, but we will get through." [Daily Herald, 4/3/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Affirmed County Leaders Were ‘Leading By Example’ On COVID-19 Response According to Daily Herald, 'We are leading by example,' Olges said. [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Staying Home To Contain COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, 'If we stay at home and get through this next month,' Ogles said. 'Life can get back to normal. The economy can get back to normal.' [Daily Herald, 4/5/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Expressed Concern About Possible Surge In Local COVID-19 Cases According to Daily Herald, '"The random trips out need to stop," Ogles said. "Please help us stop this spread. I don't want to see these numbers jump in Maury County. Because once it starts to snowball, we lose control of it. If they don't get a handle on it – boom – it spirals out of control."' [Daily Herald, 4/6/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Expressed Confidence In Lower Fatality Model For Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "Ogles expressed confidence in a model from the University of Washington that predicts less fatalities than previously considered for Tennessee and surrounding states." [Daily Herald, 4/7/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Emphasized Importance Of Social Distancing To Combat Covid-19 According to The Daily Herald, "'These numbers will only be good if we continue to social distance for the next couple of weeks,' Ogles said. 'At the end of the day, it is on you, and it is on me to do the right thing. Maury County is holding strong.'" [Daily Herald, 4/8/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Warned Of Economic Threat If Virus Is Not Controlled According to The Daily Herald, "'It is imperative that we all do what we are supposed to do,' Ogles said. 'I fear a great recession is on the horizon if we don't beat this virus. It is critical that we do our part.'" [Daily Herald, 4/8/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Claimed Tennessee Was Well Positioned To Handle COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, 'We are well positioned in Tennessee,' Ogles said. 'We are trending in the right direction.' [Daily Herald, 4/9/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Committed To Economic Recovery After COVID-19 Restrictions According to Daily Herald, 'We are all in,' Ogles said. 'We are going to stick to the plan, and then we are going to get this economy running.' [Daily Herald, 4/9/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Commented On Prospects For A "New Normal" Amid COVID-19 According to The Daily Herald, 'We all want normal,' Ogles said on Monday. 'It may be a new normal for a while. We know so much more about this virus today than we did six months ago.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/14/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Expressed Desire To Reopen Economy Amid Pandemic According to The Daily Herald, 'We want to get this economy back open,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/14/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Assured Public Of Impending IRS Stimulus Payments According to The Daily Herald, the mayor assured the public that residents should receive their IRS stimulus packages in the coming days. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/14/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Stated It Was Time To Move Toward Normalcy In Response To COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, 'It is time to start moving toward normal,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/28/20]
May 2020: Andy Ogles Called For Ending COVID-19 Restrictions During Memorial Day Remarks According to Daily Herald, "Ogles commented on Gov. Bill Lee's recent lift on restricting major public events, which went into effect last week, allowing gatherings like this to once again take place. 'When COVID-19 began, there was a lot we didn't know, and hindsight is always 20/20. We arguably overreacted, and it's time for the restrictions of COVID-19 to end. As we stand here on this Memorial Day and remember all of those who have fought for this country, all the blood that has been shed, what better day to call for an end to such restrictions than a day when our liberty has been enforced, and we honor those men and women who have died for this country.'" [Daily Herald, 5/26/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Asserted Maury County Could Safely End COVID-19 Orders According to a letter to the editor published in The Daily Herald, "eliminating your executive orders as pertaining to our community does not mean Maury County citizens are at increased risk. Quite frankly, by helping us recover economically and to mentally put this crisis behind us, we are better off. I strongly believe this - and so do thousands of my fellow Maury Countians." [Letter to the Editor - The Daily Herald, 6/4/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Criticized Inconsistent Social Distancing Enforcement in Tennessee According to a letter to the editor published in The Daily Herald, "For example, Mayor Cooper of Nashville recently encouraged a large-scale protest in Nashville, a city that has seen its economy destroyed by the shutdown. No citizen watching the video footage of this event would believe that Nashville was concerned about social distancing in those moments. Further, there was silence, at least from the media, in terms of any response from the State of Tennessee as to the possible complications from permitting such mass protests." [Letter to the Editor - The Daily Herald, 6/4/20]
June 2020: Ogles Compared Black Lives Matter Demonstrations To Business Restrictions According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor said that if large demonstrations like Thursday's Black Lives Matter gathering could be held in a hot spot like Nashville, all of Maury County's businesses should be able to reopen. 'You have 10,000 people all marching together elbow to elbow. That is fine. I support their right to be heard, but I also support the right for my businesses in Maury County to open up and not go bankrupt.'" [Daily Herald, 6/6/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Expressed Confidence In Local COVID-19 Response According to Daily Herald, '"I am convinced we are on the right path," Ogles continued.' [Daily Herald, 6/15/20]
June 2020: Ogles Prioritized Hospitalization Numbers Over Case Counts According to Daily Herald, '"The number of cases is not what concerns me," Ogles said. "The number of hospitalizations is what concerns me."' [Daily Herald, 6/15/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Stated Maury County’s Fourth Of July Celebration Would Proceed Despite Rising COVID-19 Cases According to Daily Herald, 'As of right now, we plan on proceeding with our Fourth of July celebration here in Maury County,' said Andy Ogles, the county mayor, in an afternoon update on Sunday. [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Recommended Reducing Consumption Of Coronavirus News According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "Ogles recommended one other thing. Taking a break from news about the coronavirus. Turn off the TV. Pretend like it does not exist, perhaps. That was the worst advice of all." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Called For Residents With Pre-Existing Conditions To Socially Distance According to Daily Herald, 'The mayor continues to call on residents with pre-existing conditions to socially distance and for those in need of assistance to reach out to the local government.' [Daily Herald, 7/13/20]
September 2020: Mayor Ogles Voiced Belief In Ability To Manage Fair Risks Amid Pandemic According to The Tennessean, 'This is about good family fun in a time of chaos,' Ogles said. 'We know how the virus spreads. We know that we can social distance, and we've taken into account all of those factors.' [The Tennessean, 9/1/20]
August 2020: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Voiced Support For Continuing The County Fair During The Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Last week, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles told FOX17 News the decision to continue with the fair was a 'complicated one,' but that he has faith visitors will know how they can properly social distance." [Daily Herald, 9/1/20]
August 2020: Andy Ogles Described Fair Precautions As Sufficient To Allow The Event To Proceed According to Daily Herald, 'This is about good family fun in a time of chaos,' Ogles said. 'We know how the virus spreads. We know that we can social distance, and we've taken into account all of those factors.' [Daily Herald, 9/1/20]
September 2020: Ogles Criticized State's COVID-19 Data Reporting Methods According to The Daily Herald, "'There is so much lag,' Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said of the state's previous form of reporting COVID-19 related data which was revised last week." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/8/20]
September 2020: Ogles Claimed COVID-19 Data Reporting Was Inaccurate According to The Daily Herald, "'These numbers were not accurate,' Ogles said. 'That is what has plagued me since May. The reporting was bad, the way it was collected was bad and the way it was calculated was bad. You get garbage in. You get garbage out. It could have been done better.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/8/20]
September 2020: Ogles Asserted Reporting Change Followed State Leaders' Push According to The Daily Herald, "The mayor said the change followed a push from him and other state leaders." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/8/20]
September 2020: Ogles Urged Simultaneous Protection Of Vulnerable And Economic Reopening According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles said the state must simultaneously protect its most vulnerable and continue to reopen its economy." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/8/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Supported Voluntary Masking and Economic Reopening According to Daily Herald, "If you want to wear a mask, I support and defend your right to do so. You can also social distance and wash your hands." [Daily Herald, 9/8/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Broadcasted COVID-19 Updates And Opposed Mask Mandates According to Daily Herald, "Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the county mayor has built a following on the social media page broadcasting live updates on the page. The local mayor has been celebrated by some and scrutinized by others for his staunch opposition to implementing any mask mandate in the county located about an hour south of Nashville." [Daily Herald, 12/27/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Consulted Health Professionals Before Deciding On Mask Mandate According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles said his decision was made after consulting health professionals and reviewing legal opinions and making the argument that it is still more likely for a resident of the state to die from an automobile accident or the flu rather than the coronavirus." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Cited Predicted COVID-19 Fatality Rate At Peak In Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "Ogles says the state could see an average daily fatality rate of 150 to 200 a day at the virus's peak in Tennessee thought to reach its height in the Middle of April." [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Cited Low COVID-19 Cases in Request to Lift Restrictions According to a letter to the editor published in The Daily Herald, "To date, we have had only 102 cases in Maury County, a community of about 100,000 - with no fatalities. Furthermore, we have a regional hospital that serves a multi-county region comprising of nine counties - and yet we have had very few cases admitted to our hospital. So, very clearly, the facts support that we have reached a new stage in this pandemic, one where the people can make their own decisions as to how best to defend against the resurgence of this illness." [Letter to the Editor - The Daily Herald, 6/4/20]
2020: Ogles Attributed Rise In COVID-19 Cases To Increased Testing, Not Hospitalizations According to Daily Herald, '"We test more today than we were testing just a couple of weeks ago," Ogles said during a recent update. "So even when we had the National Guard's help, we test more people today. That is what you are seeing. You are not seeing a spike in the number of people who are hospitalized."' [Daily Herald, 6/15/20]
2020: Ogles Compared COVID-19 Risks To Other Causes Of Death According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles said citizens are more likely to be killed in an automobile accident than from the coronavirus. He said the average resident is also more likely to die from the flu or pneumonia than the coronavirus. "Those numbers hold out over the last five years," Ogles said.' [Daily Herald, 6/15/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Compared Maury County’s COVID-19 Case Numbers To University Of Washington Projections According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles said that despite the jump in local cases, the county continues to see less cases than predicted by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.' [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Compared COVID-19 Deaths To Flu And Car Accidents According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "Ogles compared the 653 coronavirus to deaths from the seasonal flu and car accidents, noting the number had fallen short of both. But COVID-19 fatalities were less than the 3,000 originally projected by a University of Washington study because per-emptive steps were made to mitigate the coronavirus." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Confirmed Quarantine And Facility Closure After COVID-19 Outbreak At Maury County Solid Waste Department According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles told The Daily Herald on Thursday that a total of 13 department employees are currently quarantining after testing positive for the virus. [...] Ogles said the facility on Lawson White Drive is planned to reopen soon." [Daily Herald, 9/17/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Stated Solid Waste Convenience Centers Remained Open With Limited Staff During COVID-19 Outbreak According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles was asked about the situation by Turner and fellow county commissioner Scott Sumners during a budget committee meeting held on Monday. "We have a couple of employees out, so we are short staffed, but we have been able to keep them open and running," Ogles told the commissioners.' [Daily Herald, 9/17/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Confirmed Seven COVID-19 Cases In Maury County According to The Daily Herald, 'There are now seven confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Maury County. "All of these individuals are at home being treated," Maury County Andy Ogles said Wednesday afternoon.' [Daily Herald, 3/26/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Noted Ongoing Test Confirmations For COVID-19 According to The Daily Herald, 'Six other local cases are still awaiting confirmation by the Tennessee Department of Health, he said.' [Daily Herald, 3/26/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Commented On Maury County's Hospital Surge Capacity According to The Daily Herald, 'When you look at Middle Tennessee, just how may hospitals we have in the area, we can handle it,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald, 3/26/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Addressed Quarantine Measures For Confirmed Cases According to The Daily Herald, 'Everyone that has it or has been detected is at home being treated, Ogles said. "I think that will change, but we are ready. I thank you all for heading our warnings and taking this seriously."' [Daily Herald, 3/26/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Reported No Increase In Maury County COVID-19 Cases According to The Daily Herald, 'Our numbers have held the same,' Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said. 'Maury County is holding.' [Daily Herald, 3/27/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Expected Rise In Local COVID-19 Cases According to The Daily Herald, Ogles said six additional cases are still pending confirmation in Maury County, and he said he expects to see the number of local cases rise in the coming days. [Daily Herald, 3/27/20]
March 2020: Andy Ogles Attributed Increase In COVID-19 Cases To Expanded Testing According to Daily Herald, 'That is a fairly significant daily jump, but that will increase as we continue to test more and more,' said Andy Ogles, the mayor of Maury County. 'That number will continue to increase-day-over day.' [Daily Herald, 4/1/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Reported Three COVID-19 Patients Were Treated At Local Facility According to Daily Herald, "Three of the local cases are currently being treated at a local medical facility, Maury County mayor Andy Ogles told constituents during his daily briefing shared on social media." [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Referenced Projected COVID-19 Hospitalization Needs In Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "He says the state is projected to require about 15,000 hospital beds in the weeks to come while it currently has just over 8,000. With more than 600 intensive care beds, Ogles says predictions indicate the state will need more than 2,000." [Daily Herald, 4/2/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Reported On Active And Pending COVID-19 Cases In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said an additional case is still waiting for confirmation in Maury County and that between three or four individuals were being treated for the virus in a local medical center on Thursday." [Daily Herald, 4/3/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Reported Three Hospitalizations Due To Coronavirus In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "Three have been hospitalized in Maury County due to the virus Ogles said." [Daily Herald, 4/7/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Served As Maury County Mayor And Provided Coronavirus Updates According to The Daily Herald, "'I am ready to get this over with, and so are you,' said Andy Ogles, the county mayor in an afternoon update Tuesday. He said that one additional case remains unconfirmed in the county as of Tuesday afternoon." [Daily Herald, 4/8/20]
April 2020: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Reported One Additional COVID-19 Case Awaiting Confirmation According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles says one additional local case is awaiting confrontation." [Daily Herald, 4/9/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Reported No Change In Maury County COVID-19 Cases According to The Daily Herald, 'There has been no change,' said Andy Ogles, the county mayor. He said one additional case is still pending and confirmed that last week's fatality at Maury Regional Medical Center was a strident of neighboring Marshall County. 'We are not seeing a lot of movement in the numbers,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/14/20]
April 2020: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Expected An Increase In Local COVID-19 Cases After Mass Testing Event According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said he expected to see the number of local cases increase following the weekend's mass testing event on Saturday carried out by the Maury County Health Department and the Tennessee National Guard. [...] More than 11,000 tests were conducted across the state over the weekend, the county mayor said." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/21/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Addressed Rising COVID-19 Cases In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "Despite an increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases and the first local fatality, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles ensures that all is well for the majority of the community's residents." [Daily Herald, 6/15/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Announced Third Local COVID-19 Death In Maury County According to Daily Herald, 'Prayers to the family,' Ogles said announcing the third local death from the virus. [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
June 2020: Andy Ogles Cited 35 And Under Age Group As Majority Of COVID-19 Case Spikes In Maury County According to Daily Herald, 'It should be noted that the majority of spikes in cases are in the 35 and under age range,' Ogles said on Sunday. [Daily Herald, 6/30/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Viewed Maury County As Being In 'Good Shape' Regarding COVID-19 Capabilities According to Daily Herald, 'As representatives of Maury Regional Medical Center shared concerns for its ability to handle an influx of patients, Ogles said the county remains in "good shape."' [Daily Herald, 7/13/20]
August 2020: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Provided Coronavirus Fatality Rate Update According to Daily Herald, "All the Grand Divisions are doing well," Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said in a weekend update on Sunday. Stating that the region had a fatality rate of .69%, Ogles said Maury County is below the state's average rate death rate of 1.08% for those who have been diagnosed with the virus. [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 8/25/20]
February 2021: Ogles Cited Data Showing No COVID-19 Spike After Previous Large Events According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles pointed to two major gathering events the city has hosted in the past, the 9/11 Memorial concert on the square last September and the Maury County Fair. He said, according to data, there was no spike in COVID-19 case numbers reported after those events, and the same can be true for Mule Day." [Daily Herald, 2/17/21]
February 2021: Ogles Advocated For Safe Resumption Of Mule Day With Precautions In Place According to The Daily Herald, "Not to mention, when we decided to move forward with the county fair, that was when we were at our summer peak, and that was a time we didn’t have a vaccine, didn’t have an antibodies treatment. Now we have all of that in our tool chest." [Daily Herald, 2/17/21]
August 2021: Mayor Andy Ogles Issued a Proclamation Urging Action Against Gov. Lee’s COVID-19 Orders According to Commercial Appeal, "the Maury County mayor wrote on his Facebook page Aug. 11, accompanied by a link to a local television news station's story on Ogles' self-released 'proclamation' urging the Tennessee General Assembly to put a stop to Lee's 'continued abuses of power.'" [Commercial Appeal, 9/12/21]
August 11, 2021: Ogles Issued Proclamation Urging General Assembly Action Against Lee According to The Jackson Sun, 'Ogles challenges Gov Lee,' the Maury County mayor wrote on his Facebook page Aug. 11, accompanied by a link to a local television news station's story on Ogles' self-released 'proclamation' urging the Tennessee General Assembly to put a stop to Lee's 'continued abuses of power.' [Jackson Sun, 9/12/21]
August 2021: Andy Ogles Advocated For Parent Choice On Masks And Vaccines According to Daily Herald, Ogles stated, "I am not anti-vaccine. I am not pro-vaccine I am not anti-mask. I am not pro-mask. That is your choice." [Daily Herald, 8/11/21]
November 2021: Ogles Said His Order Was To Protect Health Care Workers From Adverse Consequences For Exercising Rights Regarding COVID-19 Vaccine According to Columbia Daily Herald, "'It is an order to protect health care workers in Maury County from harassment, intimation, adverse actions and termination for exerting religious exemptions or rights of conscience and their constitutionally protected right to voluntary informed consent as it pertains to the COVID-19 vaccine,' Ogles said." [Columbia Daily Herald, 11/18/21]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Announced He Would Begin Wearing A Mask In Public And Encouraged Others To Do The Same According to Daily Herald, 'The mayor said he will begin wearing a mask when out in public and he encourages members of the public to do so following the recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control. "I will wear one for the limited time that I am out and about," Ogles said.' [Daily Herald, 4/6/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Wore A Mask In Public Following CDC Guidance According to Daily Herald, 'Following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control, Ogles said that he himself wears a mask when out in public.' [Daily Herald, 4/7/20]
December 2020: Andy Ogles Said COVID-19 Vaccination Was An Individual Choice According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said it is up to individuals and their physicians to decide whether or not to be vaccinated for the virus. 'I am not telling you to get it; I am not telling you not to get it,' Ogles said. 'That is a conversation to have with your doctor.'" [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
December 2020: Andy Ogles Predicted Low Public Adoption Rate For COVID-19 Vaccine According to Daily Herald, "Although he hopes he is wrong, the county mayor said he predicts the vaccine's public adoption rate will be low." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
August 2021: Ogles Opposed Forced Mask-Wearing And Vaccinations For Children According to Daily Herald, "Ogles added that he is working to protect the state's children from forced mask-wearing and for leaders to better respect the choices of parents in managing the health and wellbeing of their own children. He also said he wants to protect all people from 'forced vaccination' for COVID-19 from the government or businesses." [Daily Herald, 8/11/21]
August 2021: Andy Ogles Requested Special Session To Limit Governor's Emergency Powers According to WKRN, "In a proclamation Wednesday, Republican Mayor Andy Ogles urged lawmakers to 'defend freedom, liberty and individual rights' against the governor’s executive orders, along with 'forced' mask wearing and vaccination." [WKRN, 8/11/21]
August 2021: Ogles Opposed Forced Masking And COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates According to WKRN, "Ogles asked the General Assembly to address the following: ... Protect the children of Tennessee from forced mask wearing and respect the individual choices of parents to manage the health and wellbeing of their own children... Protect ALL people of Tennessee from forced vaccination for COVID-19 whether by government or businesses both as consumers and employees." [WKRN, 8/11/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Issued State Of Emergency In Maury County In Response To Federal Vaccine Mandate According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, joined by fellow Republican leaders and area mayors, has issued a State of Emergency in Maury County in an effort to 'secure the liberties' of health care workers in the county. Ogles issued the order Thursday afternoon in response to a federal mandate requiring health care providers that receive federal Medicare and Medicaid funding to have all staff members vaccinated for COVID-19." [Columbia Daily Herald, 11/18/21]
2020: Andy Ogles Opposed Covid-19 Vaccination And Mask Mandates As Maury County Mayor According to an opinion piece by David Plazas in Tennessean, Andy Ogles stated, "In 2020, I stood up to the Biden Administration on Covid regulations by threatening to personally go to jail rather than force the citizens and local businesses of his county to follow the vaccination and mask mandates. Government officials across the state followed my courageous leadership, strengthening my standing with conservative grassroots across the state." [David Plazas - Tennessean, 7/15/22]
December 2020: Andy Ogles Opposed Mandating COVID-19 Vaccine In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "'This vaccine is not a silver bullet,' Ogles said. 'It does not mean people are going to take it and we sure as heck are not going to mandate it.'" [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2021: Ogles Criticized Gov. Lee For Not Prohibiting Vaccine Passports In Tennessee According to Knoxville News-Sentinel, "And Lee and the legislature didn’t actually prohibit businesses from requiring ‘vaccine passports’ as some of their Republican counterparts did in other states, Ogles has reminded those gathered at small local county GOP meetings and at large functions alike." [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 9/12/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Issued A County-Level COVID-19 State Of Emergency According to The Daily Herald, "Just hours before Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that he would not extend a State of Emergency due to COVID-19, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles issued his own for Maury County. Ogles' State of Emergency does not prolong the state's 20-month-long status that granted the governor elevated authority to suspend state laws and regulations to combat COVID-19. Instead Ogles' declaration initiated an effort to protect local unvaccinated health care workers, who face losing their jobs if they do not comply with a mandate set in place by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/23/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Stated He Invoked 'The Authority Of The Lesser Magistrate' To Oppose Vaccine Mandates According to The Daily Herald, '"I did not make this decision lightly," Ogles said during a press conference Thursday. "In the end, I was given no choice and invoked the authority of the lesser magistrate. To defend freedom and liberty and stand against those that seek to impose tyranny. If there were ever a time to unite, to stand together and to fight, it is now."' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/23/21]
November 2021: Ogles Encouraged Healthcare Workers To Seek Religious Exemption From COVID-19 Vaccine According to The Daily Herald, "In making the declaration, Ogles encourages health care workers to seek religious exemption and sets a precedent to protect those professionals from 'adverse actions and termination.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/23/21]
November 2021: Ogles Declared He Would 'Leverage Every Tool' To Protect Maury County Residents Against Mandates According to The Daily Herald, '"I will leverage every tool that I have at my disposal to protect this county and all the residents who reside here. Let it be known that I am resolute in my condition, and I will not relent."' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/23/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Issued State Of Emergency In Maury County Over Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who also serves as the chair of the Maury Republican Party, issued the State of Emergency during a press conference almost two weeks ago encouraging other communities to follow suit and express support of health care workers who seek medical or religious exemption from the vaccine mandate." [Daily Herald, 11/30/21]
Andy Ogles Warned Of Potential Health Care Crisis If Vaccine Mandate Enforced According to Daily Herald, "The mayor issued the emergency stating that the mandate could lead to a local health care crisis because those workers who are unvaccinated might choose to resign rather than accept the vaccine." [Daily Herald, 11/30/21]
Late November 2021: Andy Ogles Led Press Conference Opposing Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "During the online press conference, Ogle's was joined by fellow conservative leaders including Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, Rep. Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill, Rep. Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski and Rep. Brandon Ogles, R-Franklin, among other Republican county leaders and party members from southern Middle Tennessee. Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, was present by conference call." [Daily Herald, 11/30/21]
Andy Ogles Urged Other Communities To Support Exemptions To Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who also serves as the chair of the Maury Republican Party, issued the State of Emergency during a press conference almost two weeks ago encouraging other communities to follow suit and express support of health care workers who seek medical or religious exemption from the vaccine mandate." [Daily Herald, 11/30/21]
Andy Ogles Cautioned Remaining 30% Of Hospital Workers Could Have Jobs Jeopardized By Mandate According to Daily Herald, "Ogles suggested during the press conference that the remaining 30% of workers would be in a tough position with their job possibly in jeopardy by opting not to get the vaccine." [Daily Herald, 11/30/21]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Communicated Refusal To Comply With OSHA Vaccine Mandate For County Employees According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Government will not comply with any OSHA mandate that forces an employee to be vaccinated against their will," Ogles said in the email. [Daily Herald, 1/13/22]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Expressed Willingness To Go To Jail Over Forcing Vaccinations According to Daily Herald, "your healthcare is your business, and I will willfully go to jail before forcing any of you to take the vaccine," Ogles writes. [Daily Herald, 1/13/22]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Clarified He Was Not Opposed To Vaccination But Opposed To Mandates According to Daily Herald, "It should be noted that I am not anti-vaccine, but your healthcare is your business and I will willfully go to jail before forcing any of you to take the vaccine." [Daily Herald, 1/13/22]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Declared Symbolic State of Emergency In Opposition To Federal Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "At the time, Ogles, alongside other Republican leaders from the region, issued via Facebook Live, a symbolic State of Emergency in Maury County in an effort to 'secure the liberties' of health care workers in the county." [Daily Herald, 1/13/22]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Refused To Enforce Federal Vaccine Mandate For Maury County Employees According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said he will not force county employees to comply if the federal requirement becomes law. [...] 'Maury County Government will not comply with any OSHA mandate that forces an employee to be vaccinated against their will,' Ogles said in the email." [Daily Herald, 1/18/22]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Expressed Willingness To Go To Jail Rather Than Enforce Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "'Your healthcare is your business, and I will willfully go to jail before forcing any of you to take the vaccine,' Ogles writes. 'No one who works for Maury County will be forced to take the vaccine. If you want it, I hope you sign up.'" [Daily Herald, 1/18/22]
2021: Andy Ogles Joined Symbolic State Of Emergency To Protest Health Care Worker Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "At the time, Ogles, alongside other Republican leaders from the region, issued via Facebook Live, a symbolic State of Emergency in Maury County in an effort to 'secure the liberties' of health care workers in the county. The State of Emergency order was in direct response to the federal mandate, requiring health care providers that receive federal Medicare and Medicaid funding to have all staff members vaccinated for COVID-19." [Daily Herald, 1/18/22]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Opposed OSHA Vaccine Mandate For Maury County Employees According to Daily Herald, "Ogles sent an email to Maury County employees last week stating his position about the vaccine mandate under review that would require all employees at businesses with 100 employees or more to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 weekly. 'Maury County Government will not comply with any OSHA mandate that forces an employee to be vaccinated against their will,' Ogles said in the email." [Daily Herald, 1/19/22]
January 2022: Andy Ogles Stated Willingness To Face Jail For Refusing To Enforce Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, 'Your healthcare is your business, and I will willfully go to jail before forcing any of you to take the vaccine,' Ogles writes. 'No one who works for Maury County will be forced to take the vaccine. If you want it, I hope you sign up.' [Daily Herald, 1/19/22]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Declared Symbolic State Of Emergency In Response To Federal Vaccine Mandate For Health Care Workers According to Daily Herald, "At the time, Ogles, alongside other Republican leaders from the region, issued via Facebook Live, a symbolic State of Emergency in Maury County in an effort to 'secure the liberties' of health care workers in the county." [Daily Herald, 1/19/22]
November 2021: Mayor Andy Ogles Opposed Federal Health Care Vaccination Mandates In Maury County According to The Daily Herald, "Following Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles' November promise not to uphold a federal health care vaccination mandates in the community, the county has entered uncharted legal waters as the state legislature also tackles the issue." [The Daily Herald, 2/1/22]
November 2021: Ogles Declared A Symbolic State Of Emergency In Maury County To Protest CMS Mandate According to The Daily Herald, "In November, Ogles issued a symbolic state of emergency in Maury County in direct response to the CMA mandate issued Nov. 5, showing support for medical workers." [The Daily Herald, 2/1/22]
November 2021: Ogles Accused Executive Branch Of Abusing Power Over Vaccine Mandates According to The Daily Herald, 'There has been a consistent abuse of power by the executive branch of the United States,' Ogles said at the live mid-November state-of-emergency press conference held on Facebook, joined by fellow Republican leaders and area mayors. [The Daily Herald, 2/1/22]
November 2021: Ogles Pledged To Use All Means To Resist Federal Vaccine Mandate According to The Daily Herald, 'If there is ever a time to unite, stand together and fight, it is now. I will leverage every tool at my disposal to protect this county and all the residents who reside here' Ogles said. [The Daily Herald, 2/1/22]
Ogles Communicated Willingness To Face Jail Rather Than Enforce Vaccine Mandates On County Employees According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles recently sent a letter to Maury County employees explaining he'd rather "go to jail" rather than require county workers to comply with previously proposed mandates, which later failed in the Supreme Court.' [Daily Herald, 2/17/22]
Andy Ogles Stated Opposition To Federal Government Vaccine Mandates As Of Winter 2021-2022 According to The Daily Herald, "He stated in a letter to county employees last winter that he'd rather 'go to jail' than not stand against the federal government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration policy that would've required businesses with over 100 employees to require workers to get the vaccine or be tested for COVID-19 each week. Although Ogles says he is not 'anti-vaccine,' he is against federal government mandates that would require the vaccine or masks instead of giving citizens a choice." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/24/22]
July 2022: Andy Ogles Stated Opposition To Federal Vaccine And Mask Mandates According to The Daily Herald, 'Courage is contagious,' he said. 'I was vocal and others were silent. If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. If you want to get the vaccine, get the vaccine, but the federal government should not mandate (those actions) ... When it really mattered, I was there.' [The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/11/22]
2021: Andy Ogles Criticized Gov. Lee’s Response to Vaccine Passports and Business Mandates According to Commercial Appeal, "Ogles has reminded those gathered at small local county GOP meetings and at large functions alike" that "Lee and the legislature didn't actually prohibit businesses from requiring 'vaccine passports' as some of their Republican counterparts did in other states." [Commercial Appeal, 9/12/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Criticized Gov. Lee for Not Banning Vaccine Passports According to The Jackson Sun, "Ogles has reminded those gathered at small local county GOP meetings and at large functions alike" that "Lee and the legislature didn’t actually prohibit businesses from requiring 'vaccine passports' as some of their Republican counterparts did in other states." [Jackson Sun, 9/12/21]
November 2021: Mayor Andy Ogles Issued A State Of Emergency In Maury County In Protest Of Federal Vaccination Mandate According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, joined by fellow Republican leaders and area mayors, has issued a State of Emergency in Maury County in an effort to 'secure the liberties' of health care workers in the county. Ogles issued the order Thursday afternoon in response to a federal mandate requiring health care providers that receive federal Medicare and Medicaid funding to have all staff members vaccinated for COVID-19." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/21/21]
November 2021: Ogles Claimed Federal Vaccination Mandate Would Disrupt Healthcare Services In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "During the live stream, Ogles argued the mandate will lead to the disruption of healthcare services and the county's medical infrastructure." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/21/21]
November 2021: Ogles Encouraged Healthcare Workers To File For Religious Exemption Against Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "In closing, Mayor Ogles encouraged the county's health workers to file for religious exemption. 'File your religious exemption. Make them fire you,' Ogles said. 'Do not cave. Then, we will take it from there. Be blessed. Just know, we are here, and we are fighting for you.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/21/21]
2021: Ogles' Facebook Livestream Announced State Of Emergency Surrounded By Republican Officials According to Daily Herald, "He presented the order on Facebook Live, surrounded by elected officials including state Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/21/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Issued State Of Emergency In Maury County Over Vaccine Mandate According to Daily Herald, "County's Republican Mayor Andy Ogles issued a State of Emergency via social media. The press conference held on Facebook Live was delivered by mayor Ogles, following a protest outside Maury County Regional Medical Center last Saturday in opposition to a vaccine mandate issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services." [Daily Herald, 11/21/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Claimed Vaccine Mandate Would Disrupt Local Healthcare Services According to Daily Herald, "During the online press conference, Ogles argued that the mandate will lead to the disruption of healthcare services and the county's medical infrastructure through medical workers potentially quitting or losing their jobs." [Daily Herald, 11/21/21]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Presented Emergency Order Protecting Healthcare Workers In Maury County According to Daily Herald, 'It is an order to protect health care workers in Maury County from harassment, intimation, adverse actions and termination for exerting religious exemptions or rights ... and their constitutionally protected right to voluntary informed consent as it pertains to the COVIS-19 vaccine,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald, 11/21/21]