Yesterday Health & Human Services “Secretary” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to New Hampshire to talk about the importance of protecting people from getting Lyme disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)“Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Common symptoms include a bullseye rash, flu-like symptoms, and fatigue. It is most prevalent in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, especially during spring and early summer. To prevent Lyme disease, it is essential to take safety measures in tick-prone areas, such as wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent.”
To put it into perspective, some people experience these debilitating symptoms for months or years before being correctly diagnosed and treated. A worse case scenario is infections in the brain or spinal cord. Not a disease to trifle with.
Speaking at the State House and accompanied by Republican Free Staters Jason Osborne and Sherman Packard, Senators Dan Innis and Sharon Carson, Kennedy announced millions of dollars for research, Lyme disease tests, and ways to eliminate ticks on wildlife before they breed. It should be noted there is no current vaccine for Lyme disease. However, there is one in late-stage clinical trials which could reach the market within the next few years, something Kennedy did not acknowledge.
Of course he didn’t.
Knowing how Kennedy feels about vaccines this is a good time for a reminder of how our own majority legislators feel about vaccines. HB 357 would phase out required childhood vaccinations for chicken pox, Hepatitis B and influenza type B. It passed in the House, 195-174, but the Senate later killed the bill. To see how your representative voted, click here. But Free Staters stuck it on as a non-germane floor amendment to a Senate bill where it passed anyway. How did your representative vote on this amendment, click here.HB 1449 put a time limit for when vaccine clinics can be at schools and requires a parent or guardian to be present. Which takes away time from work for some. It passed, 172-154, here's the vote. HB 1811 repealed the requirement for childhood vaccinations, which did not pass in the House. Here are the votes.
With somber looking members of the majority party standing by him, Kennedy stated that we are now living in a “science fiction nightmare” (to which I would agree, but for different reasons) and, "Parents have to worry about their children going to the woods."
Okay, but I can think of something else parents of school age kids worry about . . .
According to the majority party, they seem to think parents in NH are overly worried about other issues. To that end the Free Staters have set their sights on libraries and public schools by bringing one book banning bill after another to the House floor. For example, HB 324 passed, 183-148. It was vetoed by the Governor. How does your representative feel about book bans, click here.
It seems the only people with transgender issues are members of the majority party as they brought multiple “bathroom bills” to the House floor. HB 148 did pass in the House, 201-166, but was later vetoed by the Governor. Click here for your representative’s vote.
Big, swarthy legal (or illegal) immigrants seems to be another nightmare for NH parents, or at least Republican Free Staters think so. From invalidating drivers licenses to requiring written driver testing be done in English only to renting an apartment to repealing NH’s refugee resettlement program, the majority party seems to wear their bigotry as a badge of honor.
While I agree Lyme disease is something to be taken seriously, here in NH rising property taxes, affordable housing and day care, supporting our public schools and teachers along with addressing the issues of renewable energy, (instead of voting against it), the voters in NH have yet to see any Free Stater legislation that addresses any of those pressing issues in a positive way.
The filing period opens in a few days for those who are seeking re-election or to be elected for a first time. Take the time to vet your candidates. Are their values similar to yours?