State employees, school and child care workers have just a few days until their vaccine mandate kicks in - so members of the state Republican Party invited members of the public with concerns about it to speak Wednesday.

Three school bus drivers from Bristol kicked off a full afternoon of testimony. Gov. Ned Lamont has given state employees and child care workers until Monday to get at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine or face weekly testing.

Some workers say requiring tests from unvaccinated employees, but not vaccinated ones, is discriminatory.

Democratic leaders fired back, with state Sens. Martin Looney and Bob Duff releasing a statement saying in part, "Today we saw the impact dangerous disinformation is having on the Republican party. We all must ignore the lies around COVID, trust the science, and speak only to the facts. The COVID vaccine is safe, effective, and will save lives."

Republicans say the mandates will put many employees in a tough spot.

House Speaker Matt Ritter also called out Republican colleagues for not wearing masks during the hearing.

He's calling on Republican leaders to take action against those who didn't follow the rules.