No worries! We are glad you are here to get all the updates. Last night we had a great meeting and covered important steps for moving forward. The death of SB74 was certainly disappointing but it provided us with many important lessons.
This year was the first time a Medical Liberty Bill has made it to committee in Indiana. Unfortunately, we were unable to get it through to the full Senate but we are hopeful we will see continued progress next year. We have learned plenty of lessons thus far and will be better prepared for it!

For me, it was quite eye opening to watch the Legislative Session. I never realized the way that these things happened, and it was obvious that secrecy and “back door deals” reign supreme. I had heard of “caucus” but didn’t know exactly what that meant. The political process is supposed to be one of transparency but I have found it to be anything but. Now I know that caucus isn’t just a meeting and time to chat. The Caucus is where the fate of a bill is decided in PRIVATE. When it comes time for the House and Senate to cast their vote, there is rarely diversity of thought shown in the roll call vote held within public session.  

During session one might be able to observe the difference in Democratic and Republican party lines, but for the most part it seems like our entire Senate and House of Representatives end up voting in unison! Caucus is private and information is not to leave those meetings. All debates, serious discussion, and deals are done within Caucus. How are constituents supposed to know if their elected officials are representing them the way they were promised? We know that we must not allow this to continue. We must break the cycle and be sure that voting is the result of what constituents want, not what happens in Caucus.

This Session has taught us the lay of the land. Even without getting a vote we have been able to see who is dedicated to Medical Liberty and who doesn’t seem to be ready to live up to their commitments. We have been so impressed by the way that WE THE PEOPLE have stepped up into their role in politics. We MUST continue this. It is our responsibility to communicate effectively with our legislators before, during and after Legislative season.  We must also make sure that we hold elected officials accountable for the choices they make in representing us. However, accountability is difficult when decisions are made in secret and everyone votes the same in public.

One way we can learn how to combat this is through using techniques learned through The Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership. It is my personal goal to have 6-10 classes here in Indiana this year. We have already had one in January where around 30 activists were trained. February will offer another and a third this year in March. Hosting a class is easy and I would love to help you host one in your area! I am specifically looking for Western Indiana, Southern Indiana, and South of Indy! I will keep Indiana classes updated on our website so that you can keep an eye on new developments.  I look forward to seeing you at one of the classes!

Moving forward this year our mission must focus on educating the public about Religious Exemptions provided by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Federal Religious Exemptions were used by legislators as an excuse to not push forward SB74. Unfortunately, history has shown that these are not upheld by employers. We shared that information along with EEOC’s refusal to defend the Religious Exemption. We have a Religious Exemption on the site for vaccines and encourage people to use this.  We encourage people to report when employers deny this. We have developed a new page to report these instances. We will be able to use aggregate data from these submissions to fight our case again next year. Please make sure you are sharing with your friends.

We encourage you to network with your coworkers who do not want the vaccine, work together, and agree to stand together when employers threaten termination. We also want to make sure that EVERYONE in this situation contacts ICAN for help. In order to obtain this potential assistance, please email ICAN at freedom@icandecide.org and provide a copy of the written notice from your school or employer stating that the COVID-19 vaccine is required.

To move forward we have developed committees so that everyone who is able to get involved can find their place.  We have a new page for this as well. You will be able to see each of the committees and sign up for one here. The growth of our organization is dependent on these committees. I look forward to meeting with you!
Finally, we will be having monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 8:30pm EST, you can register here.

This blog was WAY longer than I had anticipated and I commend you if you have made it this far without nodding off to sleep 😉.  I hope you have a wonderful week and once again, thank you for all you do.
 
Ashley

I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the hard work you have put into SB74. I have been amazed to see the way that everyone has united and come together. Indiana’s Medical Liberty movement has never seen so many people working together for this goal. You have played a key role in that. Please do not underestimate how important your presence is.

I have been getting a lot of questions about SB74 and if it is dead. I continue to stand in the truth that SB74 is not dead until it is voted down OR until February 18th passes. At this point I am not confident that Senator Boots will change his mind in time for that. If SB74 is not on the schedule for Wednesday Feb 17th by Monday, then it is safe to say that it will die on February 18th.

So then the question arises, do we continue to make phone calls? I am going to continue this weekend and potentially Monday. First of all Boots *might* come to his senses before Monday and decide to take a vote. I don’t really feel that he will, but at a minimum these calls will be letting him know how upset Indiana is regarding his neglect of this important issue.

Call Boots and Bray and say “Send SB74 to the full senate. It is the right thing to do!”

Phil Boots 317-234-9054
Rodrick Bray 317-232-9416

You can also call this weekend and have a little fun. The first person to text me back at 260-286-0988 telling me that either Boots or Bray’s mailbox is full will win a special gift from me.

We will be hosting a meeting this coming Wednesday to discuss our plans moving forward. This job is not done. If SB74 is not heard on Wednesday does NOT mean we go home with our tail between our legs. We have set out to provide protection to Hoosiers, just because the state Legislature has failed the people doesn’t mean we have. Our choices here on out will define our success, not what legislation has been passed.

Please be sure to register for this VIRTUAL meeting and bring a notebook!
When: Feb 17, 2021 08:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkfuqsqzkoHtaJjVUxUezglovigaoPkvTY
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The last couple weeks have shown considerable growth for Hoosiers for Medical Liberty. Membership is nearing 250 and our petition has about 2400 signatures. Showing our strength in numbers is one of the most important things we can do for the movement and you play a huge role in that.
 
Each time you share the organization and our mission you are making ripples throughout Indiana. Before we know it our membership will be in the thousands. Keep up the good work and make sure you are telling your friends about the petition and how to become members. We have made it affordable for all families at $10 a year with other options for those who feel called to donate more.

Ready to learn more so you can be even more effective in future battles with the legislature? I know that this task can seem daunting, especially with all that is going on right now. I invite you to join me for one of the FACL classes here in Indiana. There are two classes coming up at the end of this month. Please go check out the website for dates and then hop over to the registration page and secure your seat!

I have had several people forward me a link to the vaccines revealed docuseries on COVID asking me to forward it on. I have seen that it has been censored quite a bit on social media, which is no real shock. Right now, they are showing the episodes for free, one each day. There are a total of 9 episodes, I am pretty sure that they replay them for free again after the initial run so don’t worry if you have missed a couple episodes. I have not been able to watch, but look forward to seeing what all is shared. I hope you find it useful.

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.
Ashley

It has been a long couple weeks, hasn’t it! Getting a bill passed is kind of like a relay race. First leg, Senate Committee, second is the full Senate, third will be House Committee, and finally fourth will be the full House. We are nearing the end of the first leg for SB74 and it must be heard in committee before February 18th. A committee report will need to be completed and then it can go to the full Senate. If you remember from early on we discussed how there are a lot of moving parts to all of this. I know it can get confusing, because I would be lying if I didn’t say there have been a few times that I had to check my resources to see what was going on, where we were, and what to do next.
 
With the end of this leg coming up quick Senator Boots MUST give SB74 a hearing AND vote this or next week. If he does not, the bill will truly be dead. I am not sure if you were able to catch the facebook post from Saturday morning but it outlined the next steps. Mostly adding back in calls to the pensions and labor committee. (Text (260) 286-0988; refresh)
 
The short of it is that Senator Boots has stated that the Senators who have told us they support the bill as it is have not communicated their position to him. It is now our job to make sure they keep their commitment or remind Senator Boots of where they stand.
 
There has been discussion within the movement of amendments and how to get the bill moving. As we saw in the first hearing ANY committee member can bring amendments forward. IF the committee chair allows a vote, they will be heard. In all reality they can do whatever they want with it.  The point of this is to say that any of these members can offer up amendments at any time, but they cannot be voted on until Senator Boots has hearing and TAKES A VOTE. Senator Boots did not hold committee last week and doesn’t have a committee meeting on the schedule for this week. He still has time to call committee and vote on SB74.  Skipping this week and last there must not be anything else pressing that would prohibit time being spent where constituents want it; on SB74. If he wants constituents to quit calling all he has to do is take it to a vote!
 
Ultimately, we need to be calling Senator Boots along with the rest of the Pensions and Labor Committee. Senators must be true to their word. If you were told by a particular committee member that they support the bill they need to be first on your list of calls. A text was sent out to everyone on our list this morning, please be sure to make those calls today. We have done a great job thus far, let’s drive it home!


For those getting a little weary, keep faith!

If you are feeling a little frustrated and wondering how you can be more effective while fighting for your liberties? Here is your answer: Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership! A year ago I was coming out of apathy, I was recognizing that I had to do something or else our Medical Liberty would soon be gone. I attended the Political Leadership Course on Feb. 1st, 2020.  You read that right, just a year ago. It gave me the hope and understanding I needed to start moving. It took away the feeling of insignificance and planted seeds of change. February 8th, I started filing paperwork for Hoosiers for Medical Liberty and here we are today. I know that my story is rare but I also know that it is very common for individuals to attend the course and become incredibly powerful within a movement. We could use your help!
 
You can find a list of all current FACL courses within Indiana on our webpage. You can also see out of state courses on FACL’s. My personal goal is to have 6-10 classes in Indiana this year. I already hosted one in Fort Wayne, there is another scheduled for Auburn, and a third in Greenwood (Indy).  We are working to get locations in Fountain (W. Central) and Lake (N. West) Counties. If you would like to help get one set up in your area please feel free to reach out directly to FACL or to myself. I would love to see a few classes pop up in Southern Indiana.
 
As always, thank you for all your support. It has been an amazing couple weeks. We have grown by at least 60 members and our petition continues to be shared! I look forward to these next couple weeks and watching SB74 roll into the full senate!

Thank you!
Hoosiers for Medical Liberty

Once again, you guys never disappoint! What a crowd today. I want to thank each and every one of you who helped out. If you were there in person or in spirit, if you shared the event and told friends, or called media outlets. You all played such a large role in the success of today.

Today's rally could not have gone any better. A HUGE thank you to everyone who took time out of your busy Wednesday morning to show up and have your voice heard. You're not only speaking for yourselves and your families, you're also speaking for the 3 million other Hoosiers who will reap the benefits of employment protection once SB74 passes. Your dedication to calling media brought three TV news stations who recorded footage along with two print journalists, all of which completed interviews.

Thank you especially to Micah Beckwith, Ali Schaffer, and Tee Watkins. I was so thankful that you each were able to touch on different and important aspects of this bill. I look forward to our continued work together. Many exceptional individual interviews were given about how this bill will affect Hoosiers. It really takes a lot of courage to get in front of a camera and speak your truth! Thank you for being courageous. Hearts and lives were touched by your words, we are so appreciative of you stepping outside your comfort zone to do that! We were able to recorded 96 attendees at the event today and there were possibly more who trickled in! We could feel the love and support of those of you who expressed your desire to be there with us.

We all created quite the buzz around the Statehouse, especially once they heard us singing the National Anthem and other patriotic songs. It was safe to say that as we sang those lyrics something stirred deep within all of us. Law makers, law keepers, and law abiding citizens were all reminded of the core principles our country was founded on. We were able to witness a beautiful moment when the Indiana State Troopers stopped walking and turned to give the American flag their attention as we started singing the National Anthem.

Filling the Statehouse with our voices was the perfect way to set the tone for the morning! Our purpose was to serve as support to the legislators who are representing us well and to renew our commitment to participating in politics. For far to long we have neglected this responsibility and that ended today. We will continue to communicate how we wish to be represented, we will take ownership of constituent surveys, and we will help keep our elected officials accountable for their responsibility to those they represent. It was important for us to share words of gratitude and appreciation for the Senators who support SB 74 and continue to rally support from their peers. Senate bill 74 simply has to much support to die. It is bipartisan and is backed by thousands of constituents who have continued calling the Statehouse day after day, urging Senator Boots to schedule SB74 for a vote. Senator Boots is the only thing standing in the way of progress. All he has to do is give SB74 its rightful vote.

If you have photos of the event today please share them on our Facebook page or on your own social media accounts, using the hashtags #h4ml, #SB74 and #INLegis. You may also email photos along with links to press articles to contact@hoosiersformedicalliberty.com We appreciate your help in collecting them!

Again we thank you for your participation in all the success over the past couple weeks. Please stay the course with us and have faith that this is NOT over. Thank you to everyone who joined us today, who shared stories with us, who shared worries with us, and for all who sang with us! What a beautiful, peaceful demonstration of your intensity of support for SB 74.

Next Steps:
1. Senators Bray and Boots need to keep hearing from you. I am sure you are a pro by now. If not there is no time like the present. ;)
Senate Leader Rodric Bray 317-232-9416
Committee Chair Senator Phil Boots 317-234-9054

2. If you haven't called your own legislators to schedule meetings, please do so. Schedule with both your Senator and House Representative.  If you need some help with this you can download our step by step instructions here.

3. Go tell 3 friends about our petition, membership, and success! Our growth depends on your word of mouth, so please take a moment to do this.  You can also score some merch, check out the details here.

I want everyone to PAUSE calls to the Pensions and labor committee! We have heard from more than one committee member that they are just as frustrated as we are and that their hands are tied.

Time to put the pressure squarely where it belongs: on Senate Leadership. They are the only ones who can change this. Please continue your calls to Senators Bray and Boots (phone numbers below). We will refocus some of our energy and start bringing media coverage to the importance of this issue.
We ask that you spend the next week calling news stations and letting them know how infuriating it is that SB74 has been held hostage in committee. It is important that you share with the media that the bill has bipartisan support and a total of 9 authors.

We will provide Indianapolis contacts and ask that you contact your local stations, as well. They may be able to get video coverage from Indy affiliates of our Wednesday February 3rd Statehouse event.

I just want to remind everyone of our event TOMORROW. We will start at 10 am so please be inside the statehouse and ready to go. This event is to show our Legislators support. Behavior is to reflect that. We will treat the Statehouse with respect; no moving furniture or littering. Treat ALL persons with the integrity and respect that you wish to be represented with. I don't feel this is necessary for this group but feel like these words of affirmation are needed.

Now the details:
Senate Leader Rodric Bray 317-232-9416
Committee Chair Senator Phil Boots 317-234-9054
To tell them to stop holding SB74 hostage.

Next Call the media with the following information: Please provide coverage for Senate Bill 74, an important worker’s rights bill. It is infuriating that SB74 has been held hostage in committee. We have been told to stop calling legislators on this bill because phones were ringing every minute. This bill has bipartisan support AND a total of 9 authors. Constituents will be down at the Statehouse by 10am Wednesday Feb 3rd to show their support for SB74.

WRTV6: (317) 262-1440
WishTV8: 317-931-2222
WXIN-TV: 317-632-5900
WTHR13: 317-636-1313
IndyStar: tony.cook@indystar.com
https://static.indystar.com/en/submitletter/
Remember to call your local stations as well.

Again, text the number above for a list of clickable numbers.

Thank you!