JANUARY MEETING

Thank you to those of you who were able to make the meeting. This was such an important meeting we felt it was important to share it with you all!  You can review the recording here!

We are working closely with Indiana for Medical Freedom and Indiana Health Choice Coalition to make this bill successful! We are so blessed to have this excellent collaborative team.

Here is a great write up by Indiana for Medical Freedom did as a follow up to our joint meeting:

Wednesday January 13 at 9:30 a.m. senate bill 74 will have a hearing in the Pensions and Labor committee. WE NEED YOU TO COME TESTIFY at the Indiana Statehouse 200 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

If you have not seen the bill yet, the full version can be found here, or read the synopsis: 
Workplace immunization prohibition.

Prohibits an employer from requiring, as a condition of employment, an employee or prospective employee to receive any immunization if the immunization is medically contraindicated for the employee or receiving the immunization is against the employee’s religious beliefs or conscience. Allows for a civil action against an employer for a violation.

One of the most intimidating things about testifying is getting to the right place at the right time.  The meeting has a good review of where to go and the “lay of the land.” Below you can also see a map of the area around the Indiana State House. The red line indicates the public entrance off Capitol Ave. There is metered parking on the streets around the State House. The closest parking garage is marked with a blue dot and is across the street from the public entrance.

To enter the building, there will be a security check that involves putting your belongings in the xray machine, like at the airport, and walking through a metal detector.

Where do you go once inside the statehouse?

There is an information desk and the security staff can point you in the right direction to find it. The hearing starts at 9:30. The public will be testifying in Room 404, and the room will open no sooner than 30 minutes before the meeting. Plan to leave enough time that you will be outside Room 404 at 9:00 a.m. That may mean you arrive in the downtown area by 8:30 or sooner to find parking, go through security, and find Room 404.

Here is a link to find to the safety protocol at the State House for Covid guidelines.

You can fill out an appearance to testify form online starting at 7:00 a.m. on the day of the hearing. Follow this link to click the blue box that says Appearance Form.

Paper appearance forms will also be available for completion outside of Room 404 thirty minutes before the hearing starts.

What do you say during testimony?

Several people have asked this question. First of all, testimony is timed and usually no more than 3 minutes. If a large number of people show up, it may be shorter than 3 minutes. After you complete the appearance form, you will wait until your name is called to go speak at the podium. The usual order of testimony is for Supporters of the bill to speak first and Opposition to speak after, but this is not always the case.

1. Share your personal story and why you are compelled to support this bill. 1-3 minutes is a short amount of time, so be direct about how this will impact your life if your job fires you for declining an employer mandated vaccine. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, YOUR STORY!
2. This bill does NOT take away an employers ability to mandate a vaccine. Employers can require vaccines, but they must allow for exemptions. This bill ensures that workers have rights to bodily autonomy. Current Indiana codes already ensure exemptions for a variety of groups including health facility workers. This will solidify those protections for the rest of Indiana workers. We need recourse for civil action in the law, because some health facilities have not been following the current Code to allow for employee exemptions.
3. There is no current evidence that the new Covid-19 vaccines prevent transmission. They appear to lessen the symptoms but not stop spreading the virus to others. Dr. Fauci has stated that people who have been vaccinated for Covid-19 will need to continue with the same restrictions of social distancing and wearing masks.

These are a few of the main points, but there are numerous reasons that SB 74 is necessary. Having the basic human right to bodily autonomy without being discriminated against by being unemployable is a big one. Vaccines are liability free, and anyone who takes them is responsible for injury that may occur.

Most of all speak from the heart. Speak with strength. Speak with truth. and Speak up for your rights, even if your voice shakes.

Your shaking voice is a signal, it shows that you feel this issue is so important you are facing your fears and CONQUERING THEM.

If you have concerns about writing your testimony, download, and use this worksheet. Then bring it with you on Wednesday.

Testimony Worksheet
File Size:	199 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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For those who simply cannot make it to the State House to testify (and even those who can), here is the contact information for the Legislators on the Pensions and Labor Committee. The Committee members will be the ones that take a vote on the bill. Once it passes in Committee, it gets moved to the full 50 members of the Senate. Please remember that a phone call is much more impactful than an email! Phone calls take time. Phone calls tie up Legislative assistants. Phone calls are personal. These calls can make or break this bill. If you feel so inclined you can call daily to make sure the message is heard LOUD AND CLEAR! You can also leave a voicemail if it is after hours. These are still effective! If an assistant comes in for the day and has to spend 20 minutes listening to voicemails we have done our job well!!

If you are unable to make calls emails are great, too. In fact, there is no reason you cannot do both. ;) A great and easy way is to utilize the tool that Stand for Health Freedom has provided for our use. Using this link you can effectively send out emails to the entire Labor and Pensions committee as well as a few of your own legislators!

Senator John Crane:
Legislative Assistant: Morgan Torres
Phone: 317-232-9984
Email: s24@iga.in.gov

Senator Phil Boots:
Email: Senator.Boots@iga.in.gov
Legislative Assistant: Sarah Potter
Phone: 317-234-9054
Email: Sarah.Potter@iga.in.gov

Senator Linda Rogers
Email: Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov
Legislative aide: Cassie Anderson
Phone: 317-234-9443
Email: Cassie.Anderson@iga.in.gov
 
Senator Greg Walker
Phone: 317-232-9984
Email Senator.Greg.Walker@iga.in.gov
Legislative Assistant: Morgan Torres Email:
Morgan.Torres@iga.in.gov
 
Senator Chip Perfect
Legislative Assistant: Michael Conway
Phone: 317-232-9489
Email: Michael.Conway@iga.in.gov

Senator Blake Doriot
Email: Senator.Doriot@iga.in.gov
Legislative Assistant: Ryan Ritchie
Phone: 317-232-9808
Email: Ryan.Ritchie@iga.in.gov

Senator Karen Tallian
Legislative Assistant: Tyler Hempfling
Phone: 317-232-9404 | 800-382-9467
Email: s4@iga.in.gov
 
Senator Fady Qaddoura
Legislative Assistant: Tyler Hempfling
Phone: 317-232-9404 | 800-382-9467
Email: s30@iga.in.gov
 
Senator David Niezgodski
Legislative Assistant: Shaneé Francher-Donald
Phone: 317-232-9491 | 800-382-9467
Email: s10@iga.in.gov

Printable Contact List, Pensions & Labor Committee
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As always, thank you for your support and dedication. This bill could not have come this far without all of you working along side us. It is because of you that we are growing in numbers.  Please continue to share the petition, tell people how inexpensive and easy membership is. I have truly gargantuan goals for this organization they will require more Hoosiers. Together we are more powerful than imaginable. Keep up the good work and send the following message to 3 friends NOW!

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Hi! Did you see Senate Bill 74 protecting workers rights? Hoosiers for Medical Liberty has been working for months to preserve your right to decline a mandated vaccine. Support them by signing the petition at hoosiersformedicalliberty.com/workerprotectionact after signing it will take you straight to the membership page, please become a member and help solidify Medical Liberty here in Indiana.

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Thank you again,

Hoosiers for Medical Liberty
Indiana for Medical Freedom
Indiana Health Choice Coalition