Whether or not the Pharmaceutical Lobby is successful in stripping a critically important religious freedom from 20 million New Yorkers will likely come down to a vote in the NY State Assembly Health Committee. Encourage Committee Chair Richard Gottfried to uphold religious freedom!! We need 13 members of the Health Committee to see through the measles hysteria public relations campaign and instead give the Bill of Rights the respect it deserves. KB, 5/23/19
Request from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr:
PLEASE EMAIL + CALL Richard N. Gottfried
518-455-4941, 212-807-7900
Gottfriedr@nyassembly.gov to THANK HIM for putting our families before political expediency.
During his 40 years in the NY State Assembly, Richard Gottfried has been the unrelenting champion of civil rights, patient autonomy and children’s health. As chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, he is today the target of a brutal maelstrom of vilification for his reluctance to allow a floor vote an Pharma’s draconian bill to end religious exemptions and enact coercive vaccine mandates in New York. That bill is the product of the Pharma orchestrated measles hysteria, stoked by the mainstream Pharmedia that has enveloped Albany in apoplectic hysteria. The quiet, calm and self effacing Gottfried is standing firm against withering attacks from his own party and a tabloid and TV press addicted to Pharmaceutical advertising dollars. Yesterday, the NY Times published a scathing editorial eviscerating Gottfried for refusing to bend to Pharma. PLEASE contact Richard Gottfried this morning and thank him for putting our families before political expediency. Send him love and prayers and urge him to keep his courage up!
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Dinowitz requests Health panel vote on vaccination exemption bill
By Shannon Young
05/23/2019
ALBANY — The Assembly sponsor of legislation that would end non-medical or religious exemptions from vaccination requirements wants the chamber's Health Committee to bring the controversial bill to a vote next month.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) said Thursday that he has asked Assembly Health Chairman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) to put the newly amended bill NY A2371 (19R) on the agenda for the panel's next meeting, which will take place during the week of June 3.
Dinowitz, who has spent weeks working to secure the 14 votes needed to move his bill out of committee, said he's optimistic about the measure's chances, but would not predict how close a possible panel vote may be.
"I feel that we have a very good chance of getting enough votes, but it won't pass unanimously [in committee]," he said in an interview.
Replying to Dinowitz's request, Gottfried said that he "adamantly" believes in "getting as close to a 100 percent vaccination rate as possible."
"At the same time," he added, "respecting people's individual religious beliefs is an important constitutional value. I am carefully thinking through this issue. I have told the sponsor of the bill ... that I will put the bill on the Assembly Health Committee's agenda for a motion to report the bill when he's ready, based on his vote count."
Gottfried said in January that he believed "the answer to the measles outbreak is not to undermine protection for people's religious beliefs." His office has since said that the chairman is open to putting legislation like Dinowitz's on the agenda, if there's enough support to advance it.
Several other Assembly Health Committee Democrats have publicly expressed support for the legislation, including Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), who joined Dinowitz and medical leaders in urging passage of the bill at a Tuesday news conference.
Dinowitz further said he believes the bill has a "very good shot" of passing the full chamber in spite of the vocal pushback from opponents, who rallied in Albany earlier this month.
"I believe that there is very strong support for the bill. I don't think it's going to be a unanimous vote to say the least — there is some opposition to the bill, there might be one or two anti-vaxxers among us in the Assembly — but there are other people who have a more nuanced position," he said. "Most people understand that science matters and the opinions of medical providers matter."
Dinowitz said if his measure moves out of committee, he expects the Senate would take action on its own bill at "approximately the same time."
Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat and sponsor of the Senate bill NY S2994 (19R) also said he's confident that he has the votes to move the legislation in the upper chamber, if it's brought up for consideration.
"I feel that the votes are there for the bill," he said in an interview. "Given the fact that New York has over 800 measles cases, my colleagues want to address this public health emergency."
Senate Majority spokesperson Gary Ginsburg said chamber Democrats "are supportive of this legislation and hope to move it."
Senate Democrats have said they are uninterested in advancing such legislation without buy-in from the state Assembly.
Request from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr:
PLEASE EMAIL + CALL Richard N. Gottfried
518-455-4941, 212-807-7900
Gottfriedr@nyassembly.gov to THANK HIM for putting our families before political expediency.
During his 40 years in the NY State Assembly, Richard Gottfried has been the unrelenting champion of civil rights, patient autonomy and children’s health. As chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, he is today the target of a brutal maelstrom of vilification for his reluctance to allow a floor vote an Pharma’s draconian bill to end religious exemptions and enact coercive vaccine mandates in New York. That bill is the product of the Pharma orchestrated measles hysteria, stoked by the mainstream Pharmedia that has enveloped Albany in apoplectic hysteria. The quiet, calm and self effacing Gottfried is standing firm against withering attacks from his own party and a tabloid and TV press addicted to Pharmaceutical advertising dollars. Yesterday, the NY Times published a scathing editorial eviscerating Gottfried for refusing to bend to Pharma. PLEASE contact Richard Gottfried this morning and thank him for putting our families before political expediency. Send him love and prayers and urge him to keep his courage up!
************************
Dinowitz requests Health panel vote on vaccination exemption bill
By Shannon Young
05/23/2019
ALBANY — The Assembly sponsor of legislation that would end non-medical or religious exemptions from vaccination requirements wants the chamber's Health Committee to bring the controversial bill to a vote next month.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) said Thursday that he has asked Assembly Health Chairman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) to put the newly amended bill NY A2371 (19R) on the agenda for the panel's next meeting, which will take place during the week of June 3.
Dinowitz, who has spent weeks working to secure the 14 votes needed to move his bill out of committee, said he's optimistic about the measure's chances, but would not predict how close a possible panel vote may be.
"I feel that we have a very good chance of getting enough votes, but it won't pass unanimously [in committee]," he said in an interview.
Replying to Dinowitz's request, Gottfried said that he "adamantly" believes in "getting as close to a 100 percent vaccination rate as possible."
"At the same time," he added, "respecting people's individual religious beliefs is an important constitutional value. I am carefully thinking through this issue. I have told the sponsor of the bill ... that I will put the bill on the Assembly Health Committee's agenda for a motion to report the bill when he's ready, based on his vote count."
Gottfried said in January that he believed "the answer to the measles outbreak is not to undermine protection for people's religious beliefs." His office has since said that the chairman is open to putting legislation like Dinowitz's on the agenda, if there's enough support to advance it.
Several other Assembly Health Committee Democrats have publicly expressed support for the legislation, including Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), who joined Dinowitz and medical leaders in urging passage of the bill at a Tuesday news conference.
Dinowitz further said he believes the bill has a "very good shot" of passing the full chamber in spite of the vocal pushback from opponents, who rallied in Albany earlier this month.
"I believe that there is very strong support for the bill. I don't think it's going to be a unanimous vote to say the least — there is some opposition to the bill, there might be one or two anti-vaxxers among us in the Assembly — but there are other people who have a more nuanced position," he said. "Most people understand that science matters and the opinions of medical providers matter."
Dinowitz said if his measure moves out of committee, he expects the Senate would take action on its own bill at "approximately the same time."
Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat and sponsor of the Senate bill NY S2994 (19R) also said he's confident that he has the votes to move the legislation in the upper chamber, if it's brought up for consideration.
"I feel that the votes are there for the bill," he said in an interview. "Given the fact that New York has over 800 measles cases, my colleagues want to address this public health emergency."
Senate Majority spokesperson Gary Ginsburg said chamber Democrats "are supportive of this legislation and hope to move it."
Senate Democrats have said they are uninterested in advancing such legislation without buy-in from the state Assembly.
