Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition KMFC Blog

2026 Legislation Preview

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:42:20 GMT

The 2026 Legislative Session will begin on January 6, and we are already anticipating several bills. Here are a few of the highlights we expect in the coming session.

Repeal the unfunded fluoride mandate. Rep. Mark Hart and Sen. Greg Elkins plan to file bills in both chambers to continue this effort to repeal Kentucky's mandate to add artificial fluoride chemical to drinking water. Learn more here.

Ban geoengineering in Kentucky. Rep. John Hodgson and Sen. Steve Rawlings plan to re-file their twin bills to outlaw weather modification in Kentucky. Learn more about that here.

Workplace vaccine exemptions. For several years, Sen. Steve West has sponsored legislation to put parameters in place for Kentucky employers when it comes to medical and religious exemptions. You can read about the 2025 version of this bill here. Sen. West plans to file this again in 2026.

CALL TO ACTION:

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:32:07 GMT

The KY Department of Education is updating their regulations, and one of those is around preschool programs for 4-year-olds. There is an opportunity for public comment and we have identified one area where a clarification would be beneficial not just for this regulation but any others in future.

That language on the 704 KAR 3:410 proposed regulation is being updated to say "A current immunization certificate as required by KRS 214.034."
We would recommend the language be amended to say "A current immunization certificate as required by KRS 214.034 or exemption as provided for in KRS 214.036."

Send your (very nicely) worded email to regcomments@education.ky.gov and tell others to do so as well!

Kentucky fluoride fight enters 9th round with House and Senate tag team for 2026

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:04:45 GMT

Sen. Greg Elkins, R-Winchester, and Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth tell the Interim Joint Committee on State Government on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 about their plan to reintroduce legislation to remove the statewide water fluoridation mandate in 2026, to be filed for the 9th year.

FRANKFORT — Two Kentucky lawmakers are teaming up to make 2026 the year “The Fluoride Bill,” a bill to remove the unfunded statewide water fluoridation mandate crosses the finish line.

Representative Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, has filed “The Fluoride Bill” nine times, he said. In 2025, House Bill 16 failed to advance in the Senate after overwhelmingly passing the House, 68-29.

On Tuesday, Oct. 21st, Hart was joined by Sen. Greg Elkins, R-Winchester, and Dr. Jack Kall, Executive Chair International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology, along with Cindi Batson

with Kentucky for Fluoride Choice at the Interim Joint Committee on State Government meeting to testify on a new version of the bill. Watch the complete hearing here.

Hart plans to carry the bill in the House, and Elkins said he would file companion legislation in the Senate when the session opens in January.

“Our emphasis is undoing the unfunded mandate and allowing people to have the freedom of choice when it comes to, in this case, dental treatment,” Hart said.

“I remember taking fluoride treatments in school, but the United States is a free country, we do not dictate any medical treatment to anybody. It's always a choice between the patient and their doctor. The same thing needs to apply to dental medicine,” said Hart.

Senator Greg Elkins followed Hart’s statement saying, “and I can remember the school nurse saying don’t swallow [the fluoride].”

Dr. Jack Kall, also a practicing dentist in Louisville, shared scientific studies with the committee indicating that water fluoridation is linked to lower IQ in children, among other health concerns and failed efficacy. Dr Kall’s slides can be found here.

“64 studies funded by the Institute of Health that conclude there’s a moderate confidence that fluoride exposure is adversely associated with IQ reduction in children,” said Kall.

Dr. Kall added, “we dentists can repair teeth. We can’t repair brains.”

Senator Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, asked, “is industrial waste going into our water?”

Cindi Batson from Kentucky for Fluoride Choice has worked as a researcher on the bill for 9 years, and responded to Sen. Rawlings.

“Yes, that’s true. It is a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer manufacturing called hydrofluorosilicic acid. If my water system were to stop using it tomorrow they would have to pay a company to come and get it, neutralize it and dispose of it, because it is considered a hazardous waste,” explained Batson.

Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, asked Dr. Kall if there was research to suggest that water fluoridation is contributing to the rise in illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's. For which, Dr Kall gave a quick “yes.”

Lockett also sought to understand what the “hurdle was across the hall in the Senate,” but both Hart and Elkins chose not to answer that directly with Hart saying the biggest hurdle is the misconception of what the bill actually does.

Stephen Robertson D.M.D., Executive Director of the Kentucky Dental Association, came to give opposing testimony alongside Vince Guenthner, Senior Utilities Consultant at Louisville Water Company.

Robertson said, "Kentucky is an absolute leader nationally in water fluoridation and we are considered the experts nationally. We help other states on fluoridation. We have the model program in America. We have 79 years of quality science showing this is effective.”

Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, then challenged Robertson.

“You mentioned we’ve had 79 years of quality science related to fluoride in the water. Why is Kentucky still ranked almost at the bottom in caries and overall dental health?” asked Tichenor.

Robertson mentioned diet and other factors, but stated that the Kentucky Dental Association would also respond in a letter to the committee members.

Tichenor continued, recalling a previous conversation with Louisville Water.

"Just for logistical reasons alone, the Louisville Water Company would be in support of a full ban?” asked Tichenor.

Guenthner replied to Sen. Tichenor saying, “that would be easier, in full disclosure.”

Sen. Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, said he would support the proposed legislation.

“I would also be supportive of a total ban, as Florida and Utah have done to date,” he added.

Rep. Ryan Bevins, R-Hodgenville, gave a heated remark in favor of the bill being a local control issue, and not about removing fluoride.

“There’s 435 water districts and 107 water treatment plants. Now, I’ve received numerous emails from dental associations telling me we can’t remove fluoride. This doesn’t have a damn thing to do with removing fluoride. And when I ran for office people would fuss about too much government. All these water districts have boards. There are very intelligent people that sit on these boards. It’s about local control. I feel like we’re wasting time and being inefficient,” impassioned Bevins.

Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, said he’s also received multiple messages asking him to oppose legislation that removes community water fluoridation programs, but he supports the bill as a local control issue.

“This is a good piece of legislation that expands the ability for community-based decision making,” Roberts said. “I think it’s backed up by data, and I fully support this.”

Senator Michael Nemes, R-Shepherdsville, co-chair of the committee, lastly, pointed out Louisville Water’s valid concerns over the logistical difficulties of removing or not removing fluoride within a water district with multiple water sources. However, Nemes seemed concerned that Louisville Water spends too much time and resources on pro-water fluoridation outreach.

“I think it would be better if you stay in your lane and produce the water you need to produce for the benefit of the community at the lowest price,” advised Nemes.

The new version of the legislation from Hart would protect local water districts from civil and criminal liability, he said. The decision to add this provision to the bill is the result of conversations with water districts.

“One of the biggest concerns we heard was they were worried about possible litigation,” Hart said. “Doesn’t matter whether they keep fluoride in water or take it out, they are afraid they’re going to be sued with whatever decision is made.”

The Kentucky General Assembly cannot take action on new legislation until the 2026 legislative session begins on Jan. 6.

A draft of Hart’s proposed legislation can be found here.

This article was partly sourced from this press release by the Legislative Research Commission.

2025 Legislative Session Recap- What passed, and what didn't

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:45:50 GMT

The 2025 legislative session, which was a "short" 30-day session, concluded on March 28. There were many good pieces of medical freedom legislation filed. A few of these advanced, but none of them passed into law.

HB16, the bill to eliminate the unfunded fluoride mandate and return it to local control, made significant progress after being filed for eight years. HB16 was heard in committee and passed favorably to the House floor, where it was passed 68-29. See how your representative voted.

HB16 was then sent to the Senate Health Services Committee, where it did not receive a hearing. While it was disappointing, this represents tremendous progress and provides a great platform to start 2026.

HB20, sponsored by Rep. John Hodgson, was a bill relating to privacy protection. While this bill had many parts, KMFC was most interested in the portion to establish limitations on the introduction of identification devices on or within the human body. HB20 passed the House but did not advance in the Senate.

SCR61, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, was a concurrent resolution to the establishing the Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force to explore ways to integrate the principles of the MAHA movement to improve health outcomes of Kentuckians. This resolution had numerous co-sponsors and passed the Senate unanimously. Unfortunately, it did not advance in the House. The good news is that task forces can be authorized in the interim via a joint memorandum from the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, and the MAHA KY Task Force may well still take place via this avenue of creation.

Unfortunately, the other great bills we were tracking did not make any progress and all died without receiving a committee hearing. You can see all the bills we were tracking here.

We are extremely appreciative of the numerous legislators who filed great medical freedom bills this year. Unfortunately, some legislators who are in key decision-making roles do not see these bills as important. Nonetheless, we will continue to advocate for positive change.

We thank you for your continued support of our advocacy and look forward to partnering more closely to better support your own relationship with your elected officials.

KMFC is able to advocate because of the support of our members. Are you a member of KMFC? Join Here.

HB16 to Repeal Fluoride Mandate Passes KY House

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:33:49 GMT

February 26, 2025

HB16, a bill that would repeal Kentucky's statewide mandate to require artificial chemicals be added to the water to increase the fluoride content, passed the Kentucky House of Representatives 68-29. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The image below shows the vote count.

Bill to Overturn Kentucky's Water Fluoridation Mandate Advances

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:43:19 GMT

February 21, 2025

Yesterday, Feb. 20th, HB 16 to repeal the statewide water fluoridation mandate passed out of committee with 11 yes votes and 4 no votes. 25RS HB 16 would make water fluoridation optional in the state of Kentucky, giving the governing body of local water systems the opportunity to discuss this matter with their customers, and decide to stop or continue artificially elevating fluoride levels in drinking water.

The "yes" votes were from the following representatives: Steve Bratcher (R), Josh Bray (R), Emily Callaway (R), Ryan Dotson (R), Ken Fleming (R), Deanna Gordon (R), Kim Holloway (R), Amy Neighbors (R), Marianne Proctor (R), Felicia Rabourn (R), and Rebecca Raymer (R).

The “no” votes were from the following representatives: House Health Services Committee Chair Kim Moser (R), Lindsey Burke (D), Adrielle Camuel (D), and Mary Lou Marzian (D).

HB 16 currently has 31 co-sponsors, a very popular bill, and awaits a vote on the House floor.

Representative David Hale, a co-sponsor of HB 16, presented the bill. He was joined by Cindi Batson RN from Cynthiana and Dr Jack Kall DMD, a biological dentist from Louisville. The Kentucky Dental Association and a UK Pediatric Dentist spoke in opposition. The primary sponsor for HB 16 is Representative Mark Hart. Rep. Hart was sick and unable to attend the hearing. Rep. Hart has filed the coined “Fluoride Bill” for the past 4 years.

Dr. Jack Kall, called fluoridation “mass medication without informed consent.” Kall questioned the overall safety of fluoride exposure and said “it’s a very wise choice to play it safe.”

Representative Marianne Proctor asked Mrs. Batson about the chemical used. Batson said “it is not a pharmaceutical grade product, but someone else’s pollutant.” Batson preluded this statement explaining that the chemical purchased by her home treatment plant is hydrofluosilicic acid, a chemical from mining phosphate for fertilizer tested to contain heavy metals like aluminum and arsenic, a chemical Batson said, “too toxic to be emitted into the environment, and if it wasn’t being sold to our water department, it would have to be neutralized and disposed of by a hazardous waste company.”

“Having a mandate isn’t the norm for the rest of the country,” Batson said pointing to Kentucky as being only 1 in 13 states that mandates water fluoridation.

Representative David Hale presented the bill saying, "House Bill 16 does one thing and one thing only, it places the decision within the governing body of the local water producers - this does not mandate removal, it brings it back to a local body of control."

A companion fluoride bill, SB 180, has been filed by Senator Lindsey Tichenor, and awaits a hearing in Senate Health Services.

(Pictured: Cindi Batson RN, Representative David Hale, Dr. Jack Kall DMD, FGD, MIAOMT)

(House Health Services Voting Sheet for HB 16 on 2.20.25)

VaXXED III screenings update

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 18:56:47 GMT

VaXXed III is set to premiere on September 18, 2024! In August 2023, KMFC hosted the CHD/VaXXed bus in Louisville. The bus traveled the county recording interviews, and now those interviews have become VaXXed III: Authorized to Kill.

These are the showings in Kentucky that have tipped.

Newport (NKY):

AMC Newport On The Levee 20

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT

Lexington:

Cinemark at Fayette Mall (NOTE: change from the Kentucky Theatre downtown)

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT

Louisville:

AMC Stonybrook 20 (we are told this is sold out)

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT

VaXXed III screenings in KY - Sept 18

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 19:23:20 GMT

VaXXed III is set to premiere on September 18, 2024! In August 2023, KMFC hosted the CHD/VaXXed bus in Louisville. The bus travelled the county recording interviews, and now those interviews have become VaXXed III: Authorized to Kill. Each showing must meet minimum ticket sales in order for the screening to take place. Go here to find locations near you.

Here are a few of the showings local to Kentucky.

Newport (NKY):

AMC Newport On The Levee 20

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT

Lexington:

Kentucky Theatre

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT

Louisville:

AMC Stonybrook 20

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 6:00 PM EDT

Owensboro:

Malco Owensboro Cinema

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 6:00 PM EDT

Evansville, IN:

AMC Evansville 16

Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT

2024 Primary Election Candidates

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 01 May 2024 18:53:53 GMT

KMFC has partnered with Stand for Health Freedom to create a 2024 Kentucky primary voter guide. Click here to see our recommendations and endorsements.

Legislation to watch for 2024

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 19:01:22 GMT

The 2024 Kentucky legislative session began on January 2. Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition is tracking bills related to health freedom.

You can see the bills we are tracking here.

You can see action alerts here.

CHD Bus Visits Louisville on Aug 30

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:20:06 GMT

Children's Health Defense is launching the "Vax-Unvax: Let the science speak" bus tour. The bus will be in Louisville, KY on Aug 30. Click Here for the full details.

School Exemptions Webinar - July 31

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:03:33 GMT

No shots, no school. Not true!

This webinar will discuss the Kentucky exemptions to required vaccines for daycares, preschools, and K-12 schools.

July 31, 2023 - 1:00pm EDT

What to expect at lobby day Feb 23, 2023

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 03:56:56 GMT

One of the most effective ways to make your voice heard in Frankfort is to have a direct conversation with your state legislators. That is why KMFC is coordinating a lobby day for supporting members on February 23, 2023.

When you register, we will use the info you provide to look up your state senator and your state representative. Volunteers will call legislator offices to request meetings with these legislators. If there are multiple members who live in the same district and have the same legislators, we will group you together for meetings. All meetings are subject to the availability and schedules of the legislators, but we do our best to make sure that meeting times coincide with the times you told us that you would be in Frankfort. If you cannot be in Frankfort at the time of your meeting, let us know ASAP at info@kmfc.org.

Closer to the event, we will send out an e-mail to all registrants with a link to view the scheduled meeting times. If you see other legislators on the list who are near your area, but you aren’t in their district, you are welcome to join in on those meetings. Please e-mail us to let us know if you want to join other meetings.

Click here for information on parking and entering the Capitol Annex.

All meetings will take place in the Capitol Annex Building. Be prepared with your ID when you enter. The guest entrance is at the center set of doors facing the Capitol building. There is only one guest entrance.

The typical visitor sign-in procedure involved scanning your drivers license at a tablet, entering your name, and then you are given a nametag. On busy days, the front entrance staff sometimes scraps this process. Some days there can be a line with a significant wait time. Dress for the weather in case you are standing outside waiting.

We recommend that you should plan to be in the parking lot at least ONE HOUR before your scheduled meeting time.

Closer to the date of the event, we will notify participants of our designated gathering location inside the Annex building. At that location you will be able to pick up materials for your meetings. Feel free to hang out in the cafeteria (basement) between meetings. It will get very busy closer to lunch time.

Do I Need to Be There the Whole Time? No, you do not need to be present the entire time from 8:30am until 1:00pm. Once we have meeting times scheduled, you can plan to arrive about an hour prior to your first meeting and leave after your final meeting. You are also welcome to stay the entire time and attend additional meetings or help out in other ways.

Children are welcome to attend meetings as well! You know your children best, and you know whether or not they will do well in meetings. Infants and school-age children usually do great. Toddlers and preschoolers are not usually quite so impressed with meetings. Middle and high school aged children may wish to serve as a page for the day. Information on Senate Page Program, and House Page Program.

What to Wear– There is no dress code for lobby day, but we do have suggestions. Most folks at the Capitol (legislators and lobbyists, staff) dress in business casual attire. Dress clothes are appropriate, such as business attire or business casual, “church clothes,” or something you might wear to a fancy dinner with family. Think conservative and not risque. That being said, jeans and a t-shirt are just fine, too. What you wear is far less important than simply showing up.

Before Meetings– Please look at the meeting schedule that will be e-mailed and know the times of your planned meetings.

Senate offices are on the 2nd floor. House offices are on the 3rd and 4th floors. To get to the upper floors, use the elevators and stairs in the CENTER of the building. You cannot get into the upper floors from any other stairways. For Senate offices, you will go with your group to the office suite of the legislator you are meeting with. For House meetings, there is a lobby on each floor where the volunteer leader from your group will check-in, and you must wait in the lobby to be called back. Please do not check-in yourself! That leads to confusion and gets us scolded by the front desk staff!

Every meeting will have a KMFC volunteer to accompany you. The volunteers may be participating in back to back meetings and will NOT have time to come to downstairs to get you and walk with you. They will meet you 1) at the office suite of your meeting if on the 2nd floor, or 2) in the lobby if on the 3rd of 4th floor.

During Meetings– Everyone will introduce themselves. Your job is to let your legislator know that you live in their district and that you care about medical freedom issues. You can mention more specifically where you live and any community ties you might have (where you go to church, where you went/your kids go to school, where you work, etc), and mention if you have any personal connections to the legislator.

The KMFC volunteer with you can address bill questions more specifically if needed. If there are any questions to which no one knows the answer, just say that you don’t know, but that someone will get the answer and get back to them.

If the legislator has strong feelings on any point, don’t argue with them, but do calmly state your position. Be sure to thank them for the meeting before you leave. Most meetings will last 10-20 minutes.

If you have back-to-back meetings, be aware of where your next meeting will take place.

Stay on Topic– While you are speaking with legislators during KMFC lobby day, please stay on topic. At any given time there are always many subject matters being considered by the General Assembly, and you may have strong feelings about many of those other topics. However, we ask that you do not discuss your views on other topics while in legislator meetings set up by KMFC.

Food– There is a cafeteria in the basement of the annex where you can have lunch. There is also a snack shop in the basement. Food is not allowed in the first floor meeting rooms.

Sightseeing– You can also tour the Capitol building. Get info on visiting the Capitol here and more information on visiting Frankfort here.

CDC committee votes to add COVID vaccine to childhood schedule. What does that mean for Kentucky?

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 15:37:37 GMT

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on October 19-20. After some confusion on what was approved on Wednesday, the group went forward to unanimously approve adding the COVID vaccine series to the recommended childhood schedule of vaccines. Click here to read the full story from our partners at Children's Health Defense.

In Kentucky, the vaccines "required" to attend daycare and K-12 school are set by administrative regulations. You can see those here. Currently, the Kentucky requirements DO NOT mirror the CDC childhood schedule. Kentucky does not require vaccines for rotavirus, HPV, and dengue fever, yet those vaccines are on the CDC childhood schedule. So, there is already precedent for NOT following the full CDC recommendations in Kentucky. We have no indication at this time whether the administration, led by Governor Andy Beshear, will make an attempt to add the COVID vaccine to the Kentucky school/daycare requirements.

For any changes to be made to the Kentucky daycare and school vaccine requirements, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services would put forward a proposed change to the existing regulations. This process includes a 90 day public comment period, and the option for an in-person public comment session. CHFS would summarize all comments received and make revisions (or not) to their proposed changes.

Next, the proposal would be heard by a committee of legislators called the Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee. This committee can vote to find the regulations deficient. Next, the regulations are reviewed by the "committee of jurisdiction," which in this case would be Health and Welfare/Family Services. This committee can also find the regulations deficient. However, it is possible that CHFS and the administration can still implement the regulations if they are found deficient.

However, in recent years, the legislature has begun a tradition of passing legislation to nullify any regulations found deficient in the previous interim period.

Even if the COVID vaccine is added to the requirements to attend daycare or K-12 school in Kentucky, medical and religious exemptions would still apply. The current form used for religious exemptions would be updated to include any vaccines added to the requirements. You can read all about religious and medical exemptions for daycare and K-12 school in Kentucky here.

A note about emergency regulations: A state agency can also implement an emergency regulation. In this case, the regulation takes immediate effect before going through the process outlined above. The process still takes place, but after the regulation is implemented. It is unlikely that a daycare or school vaccine requirement would be altered using an emergency regulation. But, even if an emergency regulation is utilized, the religious and medical exemptions would still be applicable.

If there is an attempt to add the COVID vaccine to the Kentucky school or daycare requirements, Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition will let you know immediately, and we will work together to fight against this change!

Help us by becoming a supporting member.

Learn about Administrative Regulations here.

Sample Email on Special Session Amendments

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 05:20:29 GMT

Below are sample email outlines. Keep in mind that this is just a sample. Please use this inspiration and put your own spin on it. If you get a response from your legislators, please let us know at info@kmfc.org.

Click here to find your State Senator and State Representative

Include the word “constituent” in your subject line

TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Dear Representative_____,

First paragraph: introduce yourself and state where you live. If you have any connections to the legislator, you can mention that. (Do you go to church together, your kids play little league together, etc?)

Paragraph Two: Please vote YES on HFA 1 to HB3.

This amendment specifies that if an entity is going to receive COVID relief funding, then it must provide basic exemptions to vaccine mandates.

I support the right of every person to make their own medical decisions, regardless of whether I would make the same decision for myself and my family. (Insert your own story/reasons)

Closing paragraph: Thank you for your consideration, and please let me know how you plan to vote on these amendments if they are called for a vote.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Home Address

The Senate Amendments are now dead, and there is no need to send the email below.

~~TO YOUR SENATOR~~

~~Dear Senator_____,~~

First paragraph: introduce yourself and state where you live. If you have any connections to the legislator, you can mention that. (Do you go to church together, your kids play little league together, etc?)

Paragraph Two: Please vote YES on SFA 4, 6, and 7 to SB2.

SFA 4 requires healthcare entities that mandate the COVID vaccine to allow for conscientious objection exemptions. With the devastating shortage of healthcare workers, this provision will help retain workers who are desperately needed. SFA 6 would require this of all employers. SFA 7 would prohibit a state-funded employer from mandating a COVID vaccine.

~~I support the right of every person to make their own medical decisions, regardless of whether I would make the same decision for myself and my family. (Insert your own short story/reasons)~~

Closing paragraph: Thank you for your consideration, and please let me know how you plan to vote on these amendments if they are called for a vote.

~~Sincerely,~~

Your Name
Your Home Address

Are we headed to a special session?

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:29:04 GMT

Normally, the Kentucky General Assembly convenes each January and works for either 30 or 60 days, depending on the year. Outside of those “session” days, the legislature cannot make any binding decisions. The exception comes to if a special session is called by the Governor.

A special session is one that occurs between the regular sessions, and it can only be initiated by the Governor. The Governor also sets the agenda of what can be undertaken in a special session.

While no one knows for certain, many signs coming out of Frankfort suggest that a special session could be coming very soon. It is assumed that negotiations are currently taking place between Republican legislative leadership, who control both the House and the Senate, and the Governor. It is likely that whatever will be passed during the special session will essentially already be agreed upon before the legislature ever convenes. That means that the decisions are very likely being made right now. The common thought is that additional NTI days for schools and mask mandates may be on the agenda. However, other COVID related items could also potentially be fair game.

What should you be doing right now?

As always, you, the Kentucky citizen, have an important role. Your State Representative and State Senator both need to hear from you immediately about medical freedom and vaccine mandates.

If you are a healthcare worker facing a vaccine mandate, let your legislators know how you feel about that. If you’ve been denied a medical or religious exemption, let them know that. If you are employed at any other Kentucky business that is mandating vaccines, let your legislator know that. If you are a college student or employee facing a vaccine mandate, let them know that. If you are not facing one of these situations, you can still voice your concern for your friends, family, and neighbors who are facing these mandates.

Some other talking points you may want to include, written in your own words:

Employees should not be treated as the property of their employer
The government tells businesses what they can and cannot do in many situations, so making laws protecting workers from mandates is no different
The right to make your own medical decisions while remaining employed should be held above the rights of businesses
All Kentucky citizens should be able to conscientiously object to vaccines and medical interventions in all situations
Vaccine passports are discriminatory and have no place in Kentucky

Click here to find out who is your State Senator and State Representative. Here is a post with more info.

Sample Email

Below is a sample email outline. Keep in mind that this is just a sample. Please use this inspiration and put your own spin on it. If you get a response from your legislators, please let us know at info@kmfc.org.

Include the word “constituent” in your subject line

Dear Senator/Representative _____,

First paragraph: introduce yourself and state where you live. If you have any connections to the legislator, you can mention that. (Do you go to church together, your kids play little league together, etc?)

Paragraph Two: While SB8, passed during the most recent session, would allow for exemptions from vaccines mandated by the state, I am very concerned about the increasing workplace mandates in our state. I support the right of every person to make their own medical decisions, regardless of whether I would make the same decision for myself and my family. (Insert your own story/reasons)

Closing paragraph: I understand that no bills can be passed until the legislature is in session. Whenever that happens, I ask you to please work to pass meaningful legislation, such as BR106, to protect Kentuckians from workplace vaccine mandates

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Home Address

KY hospitals not mandating

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 01:57:11 GMT

There are some Kentucky hospitals and healthcare organizations that have published their stance on not mandating a vaccine. At this time, we know of these organizations:

Russell County Hospital

Rockcastle County Hospital

Carroll County Memorial Hospital

Aug9 4pmEDT: Chris Wiest on exemptions for employee mandate

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 20:00:00 GMT

Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/807379809977394/

Jessamine County Lincoln Day Dinner

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 17:33:25 GMT

On May 28, several KMFC board members had the opportunity to attend a Lincoln Day Dinner event in Jessamine County, KY. We were graciously offered a table to display info on our organization. The guest speaker was US Congressman Bill Posey, who is a fierce medical freedom advocate.

You may recall (especially if you've seen the first Vaxed documentary) that Congressman Posey was involved in trying to have the CDC whistleblower on the MMR studies, Dr. Thompson, testify before Congress. A great deal of Congressman Posey's remarks at the event were focused on the importance of preserving medical freedom.

Also present at the event was US Congressman Brent Guthrie of KY. Congressman Guthrie was a primary sponsor of the unsuccessful 2019 VACCINES act which aimed to nationally track and fund research into vaccine hesitancy and to target communities with lower rates of vaccine uptake.

KMFC reps asked Congressman Guthrie about the 2019 legislation and his intent behind the bill. While Guthrie did not clarify his intent, he did indicate that he does not support vaccine mandates. He did not have any specifics as to how he would work against mandates.

If you are a constituent of Congressman Guthrie, we encourage you to let him know that you want him to be proactive in stopping vaccine mandates. You can contact him here.

Who is Lobbying Vaccine Bills in Kentucky?

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Thu, 13 May 2021 17:23:18 GMT

Anyone who engages in lobbying activities in Kentucky must register and file regular reports with the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission (KLEC). Recently, KLEC produced a new report, available to the public, whereby you can see all the topics and bills that were lobbied by every registered entity in the state.

While there were several vaccine related bills in the 2021 session, here is just a partial list of the organizations that reported lobbying regarding SB8 (the bill that passed):

Amazon. com Services, LLC
American College of Obstetrician/Gynecologist
American Council of Engineering Co. of KY
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Beam Suntory, Inc.
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
Cincinnati Bell, Inc. & Its Subsidiaries
Delta Dental Plan of Kentucky
Delta Natural Gas Company Inc.
Epilepsy Foundation Kentuckiana
Fayette County Public Schools
Glaxo SmithKline
Greater Louisville, Inc.
Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
Hosparus, Inc.
Humana, Inc.
Jefferson County Public Schools
Johnson & Johnson
KVC Health Systems, Inc.
KY Assn. of School Superintendents
KY Assn. of School Administrators
KY Assn. of Manufacturers
KY Assn. of Health Plans Inc.
KY Credit Union League, Inc.
KY Education Association
KY Equal Justice Center
KY Health Departments Association
KY Home Care Association
KY League of Cities, Inc.
KY Medical Freedom Coalition (us!)
KY Senior Living Association, Inc.
KY Society of Professional Engineers
LeadingAge Kentucky
LG&E and KU Energy LLC
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. & Its Affiliates
National Assn. of Social Workers KY Chapter
National Federation of Independent Business
Northern KY Chamber of Commerce
Northern KY University Foundation, Inc.
Norton Healthcare, Inc.
Owensboro Health
Pfizer Inc.
Pharmaceutical Research & Manuf. of America
Saint Joseph Health System
Sanofi US
Turning Point Brands
Verizon Wireless, Cellco Partnership
WellCare Health Insurance Company of Ky., Inc.

Organizations are not required to report whether they lobbied for or against a particular bill, or whether they were actively lobbying the bill versus just monitoring the status of the bill. However, looking at some of the names on the list, conclusions can likely be accurately drawn about the stances of many of these organizations.

House Passes SB8, Senate Concurs with Changes

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 15:17:51 GMT

On Friday, March 12, the House passed SB8 by a vote of 77-20. A total of eight floor amendments were filed to propose various changes to the bill, but ultimately none of the floor amendments were approved.

House floor vote on SB8

The House did, however, make a very small change when the bill passed through the House Health & Family Services Committee. The bill used the term "medical provider" in regard to medical exemptions, and this was changed to "health care provider" to be consistent with current terminology. Because of this small change, it was necessary for the bill to return for the Senate in order for the Senate to "concur" with the changes. On March 16 the Senate voted to concur with the change with a vote of 33-1.

You can watch a recording of the House floor debate on SB8 here. Be sure to click on Part 1. The discussion begins at approximately 29:27.

Senate concurrence vote of 33-1

After a few more procedural steps, SB8 will be sent to the Governor for action. The Governor can sign the bill into law, not sign the bill and it can become law without signature, or veto. If the Governor vetoes the bill, the legislature would have the opportunity to override the veto on the final days of the session, March 29 or 30. The Governor has 10 days to act upon the bill, not counting Sundays.

About SB8

If the state were to ever mandate a vaccine due to an epidemic, be it COVID or any other disease, the language in SB8 would allow any Kentuckian to claim a medical, religious, or conscientious belief/philosophical exemption. The current bill does not add or remove anything from the current medical and religious exemptions for daycare or K-12 attendance.

The original bill language would have also added a philosophical exemption for daycare and K-12, but this language was removed in the Senate due to pushback from schools and medical groups. You can read the entire text as it currently stands here.

SB8 Moves to House Floor, Amendments Filed

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 15:16:08 GMT

SB8 passed favorably out of the House Health & Family Services Committee on March 4. That same day, four floor amendments were filed. The bill has had two readings and the next step is a vote by the full House, which could come on March 11 or 12. Keep reading below for information on these four amendments and why we oppose each of them.

You can see all the amendments here.

Oppose Floor Amendments 1, 2, 3, and 4

Here is a summary of the four floor amendments and why we oppose them all.

Amendment 1- Rep. Willner – OPPOSE
This amendment significantly changes the bill so that children cannot be exempted by their parents on religious grounds or conscientiously held beliefs for any potential future vaccine mandated by the state. As we know, Kentucky children can already be exempted from vaccination requirements to attend daycare or K-12 schools, and it is absolutely abhorrent to suggest that parents of those same children could not at the same time be exempt them from a state mandated vaccine due to an epidemic. This makes absolutely no sense at all.

Amendment 2 – Willner – OPPOSE
This amendment defines “health care provider” as “medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or a pharmacist who is licensed in Kentucky” for purposes of medical exemptions, which impacts current medical exemptions for school and daycare, as well as the medical exemptions created by this bill for a potential state mandated vaccine for all persons due to an epidemic.

First, there have already been multiple interpretations of the language in this amendment. Does it mean that all the listed providers must be licensed in Kentucky, or does it mean only the pharmacists must be licensed in Kentucky?
Next, the current process for medical exemptions for school or daycare are notated by a signature on form EPID 230, the Kentucky Certificate of Immunization Status. This form already has stipulations for who is authorized to sign it.

More importantly, it is common for children and adults with complex medical needs to see out of state providers for specialized care. It may well be the case that this provider, who understands the complexities of the individual, is the one who determines that the individual is not a candidate for vaccination. This amendment limits the ability of medical exemptions to be granted to only Kentucky licensed providers. This is not in the best interest of compromised individuals, and it would invalidate some existing medical exemptions for children with regard to K-12 and daycare.

Also, Kentucky has many border states. There are many Kentuckians who see a provider in another state on a regular basis, even without complex medical needs. Those providers may or may not also be licensed in Kentucky.

Amendment 3 – Marzian – Oppose
As was stated in committee, the intent of this amendment is friendly, but unfortunately it was drafted in a way that makes it not applicable to SB8. Although the need for SB8 was brought about by the COVID pandemic, this is not a COVID specific bill. The amendment reads: “The form shall include information on the symptoms and health risks of diseases, including the coronavirus, for which the immunization exemption is submitted.”

This bill would apply to any vaccine mandated in the future for any epidemic. If in 10 years there is a new disease and the state mandates a vaccine for all citizens, this amendment would require the exemption form to also include information on coronavirus, which may be eradicated by then. Not to mention, there are many different types of coronavirus.

In looking at the form already created by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for use specifically in daycare and K-12 exemptions, we can see that they do include information on the risks of each disease on that form. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that even without this amendment, the intent of this amendment will be carried out by CHFS if and when they ever need to create a form. Keep in mind that a form will never even be needed if we never encounter a situation where the state decides to mandate a vaccine for all people.

Finally, it is quite one-sided for the form to only contain information on health risks of the disease and not also include health risks of the vaccine being declined.

Amendment 4 – Willner – Oppose
This amendment is a definition of epidemic take from Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, Third Edition An Introduction to Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

The amendment reads, “As used in this section, "epidemic" means the occurrence of more cases of disease, injury, or other health condition than expected in a given area or among a specific group of persons during a particular period. Usually, the cases are presumed to have a common cause or to be related to one another in some way.”

This language is extremely broad and is intended for use in public health contexts. This language is NOT suitable for statute. The statute would be no more clear with this amendment added than it is today without having this vague definition of epidemic added.

This definition does not specify who must declare the epidemic, or how it must be declared. Words and phrases like “usually,” “presumed,” “in some way”, and “more… than expected” are arbitrary and add no benefit. What entity sets the expectations of levels of disease as the threshold? SB8 is specific to vaccines being required in an epidemic, but this definition also include injuries. We do not vaccinate against injuries.

Contact Your Representative - "Yes on SB8 and NO on Amendments 1-4"

1. Continue to call the message line daily at 1-800-372-7181 and ask to leave the following messages:

For your REPRESENTATIVE in support of SB8. "Please vote YES on SB8 and vote no on Amendments 1-4. This is not about COVID, but about medical freedom." Feel free to customize your message, but keep it brief!
2. Email your REPRESENTATIVE asking them to support SB8. Put "Vote YES on SB8, oppose amendments 1-4 - Constituent e-mail" in the subject line. See further below for a sample e-mail.

Find your Legislators here. If your Rep does not have their e-mail listed on their bio page, it is firstname.lastname@lrc.ky.gov. You can also get tips here. Please forward any responses received to us at info@kmfc.org. Keep your e-mail concise. Here are some suggestions from our lobbyist and legislators:

Talk about:

Personal/individual liberty
Support for mandate removal
This isn't about COVID, but about the state mandating any future vaccine
Government shouldn't be able to mandate medical procedures
Religious freedom and choices
Medical freedom and choices

Avoid:

Anything off topic (like masking, impeachment, etc.)
Vaccine safety
Anything that could be considered a conspiracy theory, especially related to the COVID vaccine

Sample email or letter to House Members on SB8

Subject line: Vote YES on SB and no on amendments 1-4, constituent e-mail
Dear Representative (their last name),

Senate Bill 8 has passed Health & Family Services, and I am asking you to please vote Yes on this bill and No to floor amendments 1-4 and uphold my ability to make my own medical decisions under any circumstance. This bill passed the Senate with a vote of 34-1.

I am deeply troubled that current Kentucky law would allow the state to forcibly vaccinate me and my family without consent. KRS 214.036 currently states, “In the event of an epidemic in a given area, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services may, by emergency regulation, require the immunization of all persons within the area of epidemic, against the disease responsible for such epidemic.” This is dangerous and unacceptable and it must be changed.

If, in the future, the state were to mandate a vaccine for all citizens due to an epidemic, SB8 would allow Kentucky citizens to be exempted by reason of medical contraindication, religious objection, or objection due to conscientiously held beliefs. There are no current exemptions for adults in Kentucky law, other than for long-term care facilities. The existing exemptions that are more commonly known about relate to children in daycare and K-12 schools. SB8, as amended by the Senate, does NOT change the exemptions for childhood vaccines

Previously, it may have been easy to read the language in KRS 214.036 and discount it as something that would “never happen.” But the events of the past year place these words in a new context. While the administration has stated that there are “no current plans” for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, we cannot predict what will happen in the future with the current pandemic or any subsequent situation. This bill is not only about the COVID vaccine. The government must not be able to force a medical intervention on an individual. This statement stands as inalienable truth and is further reinforced by the fact that the manufacturers of vaccines have no liability for the damages inflicted by their products (National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and The PREP Act).

My reasoning for opposing the floor amendments is as follows. Amendment 1 would remove the ability for parents to exempt their child if the state were to mandate a vaccine in an epidemic. It has nothing to do with existing exemptions for school. Amendment 2 would only allow in-state health care providers to approve a medically necessary exemption, but many people with complex health needs see specialists in other states. Amendment 3 assumes that this bill is only about a COVID vaccine and requires any exemption form to have information about "coronavirus," but this bill applies to any future epidemic. Amendment 4 attempts to define "epidemic," but does so in language that is far too broad to be useful in statute.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Home Mailing Address

Responses

If you receive a response from a legislator, please share it with us at info@kmfc.org.

What is SB8?

SB8 Moves to House Health & Family Services

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 15:11:44 GMT

UPDATED 3/1: SB8 has been referred to the House Health & Family Services Committee. The House committees have a process known as "posting" whereby bills are posted or announced at least 24 hours before they are considered by a committee. SB8 was posted today (3/1). It is possible it could be heard by the committee this Thursday (3/4) when the committee meets at Noon EST.

What is SB8?

What you need to do now

1. Continue to call the message line daily at 1-800-372-7181 and ask to leave the following messages:

For your REPRESENTATIVE in support of SB8. "Please vote YES on SB8 and support medical freedom." Feel free to customize your message, but keep it brief!
For members of the HOUSE HEALTH & FAMILY SERVICES COMMITTEE: "Please vote YES on SB8 in Committee."

2. Email your REPRESENTATIVE asking them to support SB8. Put "Vote YES on SB8 - Constituent e-mail" in the subject line. See further below for a sample e-mail.

3. Email all members of the HOUSE HEALTH & FAMILY SERVICES COMMITTEE asking them to vote YES on SB8. Put "Vote YES on SB8 in committee" in the subject line. If one of the members is your Representative, be sure to include that you are their constituent. Below are the emails of the committee members. We recommend that you send separate e-mails if time permits. At very least, use the BCC function if you are only going to send one e-mail. See further below for a sample email.

Kimberly.Moser@lrc.ky.gov
MelindaGibbons.Prunty@lrc.ky.gov
Danny.Bentley@lrc.ky.gov
Adam.Bowling@lrc.ky.gov
Josh.Bray@lrc.ky.gov
Tom.Burch@lrc.ky.gov
Ryan.Dotson@lrc.ky.gov
Daniel.Elliott@lrc.ky.gov
Ken.Fleming@lrc.ky.gov
Deanna.Frazier@lrc.ky.gov
MaryLou.Marzian@lrc.ky.gov
Felicia.Rabourn@lrc.ky.gov
Josie.Raymond@lrc.ky.gov
Steve.Riley@lrc.ky.gov
Scott.Sharp@lrc.ky.gov
Steve.Sheldon@lrc.ky.gov
Nancy.Tate@lrc.ky.gov
Russell.Webber@lrc.ky.gov
Susan.Westrom@lrc.ky.gov
Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov

Find your Legislators here. If your Rep does not have their e-mail listed on their bio page, it is firstname.lastname@lrc.ky.gov. You can also get tips here. Please forward any responses received to us at info@kmfc.org. Keep your e-mail concise. Here are some suggestions from our lobbyist and legislators:

Talk about:

personal/individual liberty
support for mandate removal
government shouldn't be able to mandate medical procedures
religious freedom and choices
medical freedom and choices

Avoid:

anything off topic (like masking, impeachment, etc.)
vaccine safety
anything the medical establishment would consider a conspiracy theory

4. Bonus - If you'd like to take an additional step, we recommend you send a physical letter or even a nice card to your Representative asking them to support SB8. Use the same process listed above to find your Representative. On their bio page you will find a mailing address. Some will have both their home address and Frankfort office address listed. Either are fine to use. You can even send a letter to both addresses!

Sample email or letter to House Members on SB8

Subject line if you are a constituent: Vote YES on SB, constituent e-mail
Subject line if you are not a constituent: Vote YES on SB 8

Dear Representative (their last name),

Senate Bill 8 is now in the House, and I urge you to vote Yes on this bill and uphold my ability to make my own medical decisions under any circumstance. This bill passed the Senate with a vote of 34-1.

I am deeply troubled that current Kentucky law would allow the state to forcibly vaccinate me and my family without consent. KRS 214.036 currently states, “In the event of an epidemic in a given area, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services may, by emergency regulation, require the immunization of all persons within the area of epidemic, against the disease responsible for such epidemic.” This is dangerous and unacceptable and it must be changed.

If, in the future, the state were to mandate a vaccine for all citizens due to an epidemic, SB8 would allow Kentucky citizens to be exempted by reason of medical contraindication, religious objection, or objection due to conscientiously held beliefs. There are no current exemptions for adults in Kentucky law, other than for long-term care facilities. The existing exemptions that are more commonly known about relate to children in daycare and K-12 schools. SB8, as amended by the Senate, does NOT change the exemptions for childhood vaccines

Previously, it may have been easy to read the language in KRS 214.036 and discount it as something that would “never happen.” But the events of the past year place these words in a new context. While the administration has stated that there are “no current plans” for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, we cannot predict what will happen in the future with the current pandemic or any subsequent situation. The government must not be able to force a medical intervention on an individual. This statement stands as inalienable truth and is further reinforced by the fact that the manufacturers of vaccines have no liability for the damages inflicted by their products (National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and The PREP Act).

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Home Mailing Address

Responses

If you receive a response from a legislator, please share it with us at info@kmfc.org.

KY Legislative Session Day 1

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:09:20 GMT

Yesterday was the first day of the 2021 Kentucky Legislative Session. It is going to be an unusual year with changes made to various aspects of the legislative process, including how citizens can participate in the process.

Several bills were filed that we want to share with you. Some of these bills were pre-filed and were previously known under their BR (bill request) number. Going forward for the rest of the 2021 session, they will be known by their HB or SB number.

☑️HB 36 (BR301)- S. Maddox and 8 co-sponsors. "AN ACT relating to ensuring basic liberties regarding immunizations and *declaring an emergency."

This bill eliminates language from KRS 214.036 that would allow the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to vaccinate "all persons" in the event of an "epidemic." This is the bill for which many of you have already voiced your support when it was known as BR 301. We urge you to keep showing your support by asking your House Representative to support and co-sponsor HB 36.

See the details and read the full bill at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21rs/HB36.html
(click on the link for Introduced to see the full bill text.)

☑️SB 8- M. Wilson- "AN ACT relating to exceptions to mandatory immunization requirements and *declaring an emergency." (This bill was first filed as SB28, then withdrawn and filed again as SB8.)

This is a newly filed bill with some interesting language. It adds to the current vaccine exemptions for schools and daycares exemptions for "conscientiously held beliefs." This language is proposed to be added to all places in existing statute where exemptions are listed. This bill also takes a different approach than HB 36 to the "epidemic" language in KRS 214.036. Rather than eliminating the language, HB 8 provides for exemptions to any mandatory vaccination in the event of an epidemic.

Contact your state Senator and ask them to support and co-sponsor SB 8.

See details and read the full bill at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21rs/SB8.html
(click on the link for Introduced to see the full bill text.)

☑️HB 101 (BR 892)- M. Hart and one co-sponsor- "AN ACT prohibiting vaccination requirements for postsecondary education students."

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21rs/HB101.html
(click on the link for Introduced to see the full bill text.)
.
☑️SB 37 (BR 418)- R. Girdler- "AN ACT relating to immunization and declaring an emergency."

This bill is, in part, identical to HB 36. It differs in that it adds a section to prohibit required immunization of any employee by an employer.

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21rs/SB37.html
(click on the link for Introduced to see the full bill text.)

Update 1/13/21

Since this post was first published, SB28 was withdrawn and re-filed as SB8. Also, SB98 was filed.

SB 98 - A. Southworth- "AN ACT relating to immunizations."
Amend KRS 344.010 to define "immunization"; amend KRS 344.040 to prohibit employers from discriminating against an individual who declines immunization or requiring immunization as a condition of employment.

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21rs/sb98.html
(click on the link for Introduced to see the full bill text.)

Going Forward

Be sure to check back for updates on our website and social media as these bills hopefully advance.

For info on contacting your legislators, click here.

*In this context, declaring an emergency means that this bill, if passed, it would take effect more quickly than a bill without this provision.

Sample Letter to Legislators

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 15:07:14 GMT

Writing to your state legislators doesn't have to be intimidating. Check out our post on how to find out who are your state legislators. If you are planning to write to them, here is one example of a template you can follow.

Paragraph One: State who you are and that you are their constituent. Write 1-2 sentences about yourself and your ties to the community. Include the name of your city/town, and some personal information such as how long you or your family has lived in Kentucky; what kind of business your family is in; how many children you have; or where you go to church/school. If you know anything you have in common with the legislator, mention it here.

Paragraph Two: state the purpose of your letter. Here is what we suggest, customized to ask for support of BR 301:

I am opposed to a mandatory COVID vaccine, and I am concerned that current Kentucky law does not protect my right to make medical decisions for my family.

I am specifically concerned about the last sentence in KRS 214.036, “in the event of an epidemic in a given area, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services may, by emergency regulation, require the immunization of all persons within the area of epidemic, against the disease responsible for such epidemic.” Senator Wilson has filed SB28 which would address this concern by adding exemptions.

I would like to know where you stand on this issue and ask that you please support and co-sponsor SB28.
(Be sure to include this sentence, or something similar, so that they know you are asking them to respond to you.)

Optional: 2-3 sentences about why this is important to you. Use your own words. Are you or a loved one vaccine injured? Are you religiously opposed? You believe that when there is a risk there must always be a choice? DON’T GO OVERBOARD!

Paragraph Three: Thank them for their time, and specifically state that you look forward to receiving their response.

Conclude with your name and include your Kentucky mailing address

Contacting State Legislators

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 15:03:37 GMT

The Basics

Each Kentuckian is represented by two elected state level legislators: a member of the Kentucky State Senate (senator) and a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives (representative). These individuals vote on all bills that create or change Kentucky law (Kentucky Revised Statutes or KRS). It is important that both of your state legislators hear from you about issues that are important to you. While you can contact any legislator, it is most important that you communicate with the legislators elected to represent your district.

Find Your Legislators

The Kentucky Legislative Research Commission has an easy to use website to help you determine your legislators. Enter your address and click on the map. Click here to find your legislators.

Making Contact

.Below are some ways you can contact your legislators.

Visiting Your Legislators – By far, a face-to-face meeting is the most effective method of contact with a legislator. During the legislative session (starting in January each year), this most often happens at the legislator’s office in Frankfort, but it is also possible to meet with them in your home district, especially when the legislature is not in session. This is currently complicated by COVID, but you can still ask your legislator if they are open to face-to-face communication. You can also watch for local community events where legislators are scheduled to attend or speak.

**2021 General Assembly Accessibility & COVID Restrictions
(information courtesy of Kentucky Voices for Health)

GENERAL ACCESS- General Public access to the Capitol Annex and to the Capitol Building will not be allowed. We understand that you will be allowed to enter either building if you have an appointment with an official/policy-maker, but access will be limited to the appointment time and you will be expected to leave the building after the appointment. Your name will have to be given to security at the front door of either building to gain access. We assume that this will have to be done by the official/policy-maker with whom you have the appointment, or by their staff person.

SCHEDULED ANNEX MEETINGS- Meetings will be limited to 3 persons and will take place in Annex offices. When you arrive at the main visitor entrance of the Annex, contact the legislative assistant or LRC staff who will verify your appointment time and may meet you there

Call the Legislative Message Line- A very easy way of making contact is to call the Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. A message line employee will answer and ask for your name and address. You do NOT need to know who are your legislators; the operator will look that up. You can ask to leave a message for your senator, your representative, other specific legislators, all members of a specific committee, etc. Ask your legislator(s) to support or oppose a certain bill or amendment to a bill. You can also add a personalized message. You can leave separate messages regarding multiple bills during the same call. Calling is usually a very quick and easy process. Every Kentucky voter can call daily!

Writing to Your Legislators– Writing to your legislator is another great and effective tool. Letters (particularly hand-written) are sometimes better than e-mail, although both are important.

It is helpful to write to your legislators several times, but even more impactful than multiple letters from the same person are letters from MORE constituents, so ask your friends and relatives to write also.

Please email KMFC at info@kmfc.org to let us know your legislators' responses.

Where to mail letters: Letters can be sent to your representative’s home or capitol address. During the session, communication should be sent to their office address. Contact info is available at https://legislature.ky.gov/
Letters may be handwritten or typed. They should be signed and hand addressed. Handwritten, while more time consuming, is more likely to get seen and noticed!
Letters should be about one page.
Your purpose is not to convince them that vaccines are bad. Your purpose is to emphasize the importance of bodily autonomy and CHOICE. Include your personal reasons for feeling this way.
If you send an e-mail, be sure to include “constituent" and the bill number in the subject line and include your address in the body of the e-mail.
Some legislator e-mail addresses are listed on their legislative profile page, while others only have a generic “contact” link. Their e-mail is usually firstname.lastname@lrc.ky.gov, such as john.doe@lrc.ky.gov.

Sample Letter to Legislators

Visit this post with a sample letter to legislators.

Information for University of Kentucky Students

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 14:58:54 GMT

On October 8, University of Kentucky announced that students who live on or come to campus will be required to receive a flu vaccination by Nov. 1. The University does recognize both religious and medical exemptions.

To exercise a religious exemption, a student should send an e-mail to ReligiousExemptions@UKY.edu. This e-mail must come from the student and not the parents unless the student is under the age of 18. The email must state that getting the flu shot will substantially burden the student's free exercise of religion. We recommend keeping this statement simple and there is no need to include details. There is no form or notarization required.

For a medical exemption, a student must register with the Disability Resource Center. The Center can be contacted at DRC@UKY.edu, and more information is available here.

Are we facing forced vaccination?

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 14:45:50 GMT

KY Constitutional Attorney, Chris Wiest stated the following.

"The next battle and uproar, I expect will be on forced vaccination. No, there is no vaccine now. It is in phase III testing. Best guess is early 2021.
But Kentucky law does permit forced vaccination. KRS 214.036:

“Provided, however, that in the event of an epidemic in a given area, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services may, by emergency regulation, require the immunization of all persons within the area of epidemic, against the disease responsible for such epidemic.”

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=8778

Proponents argue it is necessary to protect community health. Those opposed see it as a matter of fundamental liberty and autonomy.
On a federal level, it’s highly likely to be constitutional under Jacobson v. Massachusetts.

On a state level, I wouldn’t hold my breath on this, considering we sort of litigated the issue, on the chicken pox vaccine, up to the Kentucky Supreme Court, and lost, and there were legitimate religious objections in that case that implicated Kentucky’s RFRA. And still forced vaccination okay.

If it’s something you don’t want to happen, it’s in the hands of your state legislators. If it’s something you care about, you should ask your legislators where they stand on this issue and if you are opposed ask them to repeal this and prohibit forced vaccinations. And then vote accordingly."

Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition KMFC Blog

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Sample Email on Special Session Amendments

Are we headed to a special session?

What should you be doing right now?

Sample Email

KY hospitals not mandating

Aug9 4pmEDT: Chris Wiest on exemptions for employee mandate

Jessamine County Lincoln Day Dinner

Who is Lobbying Vaccine Bills in Kentucky?

House Passes SB8, Senate Concurs with Changes

About SB8

SB8 Moves to House Floor, Amendments Filed

Oppose Floor Amendments 1, 2, 3, and 4

Contact Your Representative - "Yes on SB8 and NO on Amendments 1-4"

​Sample email or letter to House Members on SB8

Responses

What is SB8?

SB8 Moves to House Health & Family Services

What is SB8?

What you need to do now

Sample email or letter to House Members on SB8

Responses

KY Legislative Session Day 1

Update 1/13/21

Going Forward

Sample Letter to Legislators

Contacting State Legislators

The Basics

Find Your Legislators

Making Contact

Sample Letter to Legislators

Information for University of Kentucky Students

Are we facing forced vaccination?

Sample email or letter to House Members on SB8