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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/27/2004 5:03:29 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Urgent-Calls Needed Monday-Committee To Vote on Harmful Immunization Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 27, 2004 Urgent-Calls Needed Monday-Committee To Vote on Harmful Immunization Bill Dear HSLDA members and friends: A bill that would force children to be injected with vaccines manufactured using cells cultured from aborted babies-and making it almost impossible to receive a medical exemption-- passed the West Virginia Senate Wednesday. SB 439's sham religious exemption is worthless. It is unconstitutional because it discriminates against certain kinds of religions. It will be struck down. It provides no protection for those profoundly opposed to such vaccines, but not for religious reasons. The bill undercuts historic parents' rights by declaring that the state has a "compelling interest" in protecting children's health, but fails to acknowledge a parent's fundamental right to direct their children's health care. The bill strips away the right of a parent to defend themselves based on "sufficient reason." It then increases the penalty for violation by ten-fold. We expect the House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee to vote on the bill Wednesday, March 3, but a subcommittee may vote as early as Monday. Christian Home Educators of West Virginia and other organizations are working together with HSLDA to defeat this bill unless its glaring problems are solved. Action Requested: 1. If one of the delegates below represents your district, call him or her on Monday and ask them to oppose the bill. Your message may be as simple as, "Please oppose SB 439. It forces my children to be immunized with vaccines made using cells cultured from the bodies of aborted babies. It makes it almost impossible for my own doctor to give my children a medical exemption. The bill's religious exemption favors one kind of religion over another and will be struck down as unconstitutional. It does not protect families who deeply oppose such vaccinations, but not on religious grounds. It elevates the state's power over citizens without acknowledging our fundamental rights." Since this bill affects all parents, it is not necessary to identify your self as a homeschooler. Health and Human Resources Committee Members: Chairman: Don Perdue - 304-340-3269 Vice Chairman: Barbara Hatfield - 304-340-3140 Minority Chair Health and Human Resources: Bob Ashley - 304-340-3185 Bonnie Brown - 304- 340-3178 Mitch Carmichael - 304- 340-3115 Joe DeLong - 304- 340-3287 Barbara Evans Fleischauer - 304- 340-3169 Dan Foster - 304- 340-3135 Eustace Frederick - 304- 340-3164 Mike Hall - 304- 340-3145 Greg Howard - 304- 340-3121 Lidella Wilson Hrutkay - 304- 340-3156 Richard J. Iaquinta - 304- 340-3129 Margarette Leach - 304- 340-3395 Virginia Mahan - 304- 340-3106 Brady Paxton - 304- 340-3199 Robert A. Schadler - 304- 340-3191 Kelli Sobonya - 304- 340-3175 Sharon Spencer - 304- 340-3270 Linda Sumner - 304- 340-3180 Sally Matz Susman - 304- 340-3187 Christopher Wakim - 304- 340-3177 Barbara Bobbie Warner - 304- 340-3134 Carrie Webster - 304- 340-3184 Jack Yost - 304- 340-3350 Go to http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to find the name of your delegate. 2. Call other families and pass this on. Reasons to Oppose SB 439 1. SB 439 forces immunization for chicken pox. The vaccine is made using cells cultured from an aborted baby. When your child is vaccinated, DNA from the aborted baby enters your child's bloodstream. Many parents strongly object-some for religious reasons, others for reasons not related to religion. Both groups of parents must be protected. The bill must allow parents to refuse based on religious or moral grounds. (Rubella vaccine, already required, is also made using cells cultured from the bodies of an aborted baby.) 2. Under current law, any reputable physician can give your child a medical exemption. SB 439 would make this almost impossible. It allows a medical exemption only when it fits with "commonly accepted medical practice." If your family doctor believes your child should be medically exempted, but other doctors disagree, your child would be denied the exemption. One size does not fit all in medical care. 3. Under current law, parents can defend themselves by claiming they have a sufficient reason to refuse immunization. SB 439 strips parents of that right. 4. The bill erodes vital parental rights by declaring that the state has a "compelling" interest in "protecting" the health of citizens, "especially children", but fails to recognize that parents have a fundamental right to direct the health care of their children. 5. After diminishing parents' rights, it then increases by ten times the fine for failure to submit. 6. The bill has a bizarre religious exemption that is clearly unconstitutional. It only allows an exemption for parents who have a "member of the clergy or religious representative" vouch for their religious beliefs. Parents whose religion does not acknowledge clergy or "religious representatives" are frozen out. The Supreme Court ruled that this type of discrimination is unconstitutional. See Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security. On July 25, 2002, a religious exemption was struck down in Arkansas for similar reasons. 7. Some have argued that homeschool families are not required to immunize. However, the law says: "ANY PARENT or guardian who refuses to permit his or her child to be immunized, and is not exempted from immunization ... shall be guilty of a misdemeanor..." It is easy to foresee a judge with an agenda taking this language and forcing vaccinations on homeschool families, although this is clearly not the intent of the legislature. Thank you for standing with us for freedom! Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney {{JoinAd}} ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
