Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205

03/01/2022 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

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Audio Topic
01:33:23 PM Start
01:33:53 PM SB156
03:04:55 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ SB 156 PROHIBIT COVID-19 VACCINE DISCRIMINATION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
-- <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
      SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                    
                         March 1, 2022                                                                                          
                           1:33 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator David Wilson, Chair                                                                                                     
Senator Shelley Hughes, Vice Chair                                                                                              
Senator Mia Costello                                                                                                            
Senator Lora Reinbold                                                                                                           
Senator Tom Begich                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 156                                                                                                             
"An Act relating to COVID-19 immunization rights; and relating                                                                  
to objection to the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB 156                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: PROHIBIT COVID-19 VACCINE DISCRIMINATION                                                                           
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) REINBOLD                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
01/18/22       (S)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/7/22                                                                                

01/18/22 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

01/18/22 (S) STA, HSS 02/03/22 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 02/03/22 (S) Heard & Held 02/03/22 (S) MINUTE(STA) 02/08/22 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 02/08/22 (S) Heard & Held 02/08/22 (S) MINUTE(STA) 02/10/22 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 02/10/22 (S) Moved SB 156 Out of Committee 02/10/22 (S) MINUTE(STA) 02/11/22 (S) STA RPT 2DP 1AM 02/11/22 (S) DP: SHOWER, REINBOLD 02/11/22 (S) AM: HOLLAND 03/01/22 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 WITNESS REGISTER KELLI TOTH, Staff Senator Reinbold Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Read the sponsor statement for SB 156. DR. RYAN COLE, representing self Garden City, Idaho POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 156. JOAN PRIESTLEY, representing self Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 156. MIKE CRUSE, representing self Palmer, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 156. DIANA GRIESER, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. LISA WARD, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. SHARON WILDES, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. BILL WILDES, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. AMANDA SPRATT, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. MARY HUNTER, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. DARRELL HARMON, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. MERYL NASS, representing self Ellsworth, Maine POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. SALLY DUNCAN, representing self Fairbanks, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 KENDAL CRUSE, representing self Palmer, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 BRENDA HASTIE, representing self Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 IRENE QUEDNOW, representing self Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 LISA GENTEMANN, representing self Eagle River, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 MARIANNE E. BURKE, representing self Wasilla, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 ELAINE HEDDEN, representing self Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 DONALD THOMPSON, representing self Fairbanks, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156 MARIA PATRICIA, representing self Deltana, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. COREY SIDLO, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. REBECCA DUNDORE, representing self Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 156. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:33:23 PM CHAIR DAVID WILSON called the Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:33 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Reinbold, Hughes, Costello, and Chair Wilson. Senator Begich arrived thereafter. SB 156-PROHIBIT COVID-19 VACCINE DISCRIMINATION 1:33:53 PM CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 156 "An Act relating to COVID-19 immunization rights; and relating to objection to the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine." 1:34:22 PM SENATOR LORA REINBOLD, speaking as sponsor, recognized Senators Costello and Hughes as cosponsors of SB 156. She stated that legislators take an oath to defend individual liberties. COVID- 19 and mandates have negatively impacted the world. Globally there are movements against the tyrannical political, medical, and corporate mandates. SB 156 helps protect individual liberties. 1:36:30 PM SENATOR REINBOLD advanced to slide 2 and stated that popular sovereignty is based on the approval of the people. In the preamble of the Constitution and in Alaska's constitution, all people are guaranteed a natural right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is considered an essential right of the American people. People are entitled to equal opportunity, protection under the law, and the rewards of their industry. COVID-19 mandates have been arbitrarily applied locally and nationally. She stated that she started Freedom Fighters in April 2020 in recognition that mandates were an assault on the Constitution. 1:38:24 PM SENATOR REINBOLD moved to slide 5 and said that the document The Vaccine Bill of Rights published by the organization America's Frontline Doctors stated that emergency-use-only products are strictly prohibited by federal law from being mandated. The Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki prohibit participation in medical experiments through coercion. The Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccinations had no long-term safety and efficacy trials. Studies show that natural immunity was better than induced immunity, and over 50 percent of people likely have natural immunity. She stated that COVID-19 vaccinations and mandates pose health and privacy risks. 1:39:31 PM SENATOR REINBOLD turned to slide 6 and shared that the CDC's definition of vaccine over the past twenty years had changed. The description went from prevention to immunity to protection. Alaska's definition of a vaccine has not changed, AS 18.09.990(11). She stated there are five key elements to informed consent: • Know the nature of the patient's illness, • Provide a description of the procedure and its purpose, • Provide the probable outcome, • Provide the most likely risks, side effects, benefits, and complications. • Provide information on alternative treatments. 1:42:30 PM Senator REINBOLD moved to slide 8 and said that the package insert of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine had no information; the page was intentionally blank. She questioned how healthcare professionals could give informed consent when they were not fully informed. She advised that people who work in the medical profession should carry malpractice insurance because there will be injuries and adverse reactions from the vaccine. She said that, fortunately, Alaska is an opt-in state, so citizens must give informed consent to receive medical treatment. SB 156 supports this right. She noted that federal law prohibits COVID vaccines, tests, and mask mandates. However, Alaska has remained in a state of emergency for two years to remain eligible for funds through federal programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She also mentioned that the Pfizer vaccine was issued under emergency use authorization. 1:45:29 PM SENATOR REINBOLD turned to slide 13 and said that people report job loss threats if they refuse the COVID-19 vaccination. She pointed out that AS 11.41.530 makes coercion a class C felony. She thanked the committee for its support in amending SB 56 to include personal objections and informed consent because there are dangers associated with the vaccine. 1:46:36 PM SENATOR REINBOLD moved to a chart on slide 15 labeled Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) Summary for COVID-19 Vaccines Through 2/18/2022. The total adverse reactions reported worldwide to the COVID-19 vaccine was 1,134,984. The number of adverse reactions to all other vaccines since 1990 was 872,313. Yet, the state of Alaska held several campaigns promoting COVID- 19 vaccination for adults and children. She went on to relay other data provided in the chart. She noted that the total number of deaths associated with the COVID-19 vaccines is more than double the number of deaths related to all other vaccines combined. Furthermore, it was estimated that only 10 percent of incidences were reported to VAERS. 1:50:21 PM SENATOR REINBOLD provided the following quotes to support SB 156 taken from the Supreme Court's decision in National Federation of Independent Business, et al., Applicants v. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, et al. and Ohio, et al., v. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, et al.: [Original punctuation provided.] Supreme Court Per Curiam She (Solicitor General) instead argues that the risk of contracting COVID-19 qualifies as such a danger. We cannot agree. Although COVID-19 is a risk that occurs in many workplaces, it is not an occupational hazard in most. COVID-19 can and does spread at home, in schools, during sporting events, and everywhere else that people gather. That kind of universal risk is no Cite as: 595 U.S.__(2022)7 Per Curiam different from the day-to-day dangers that all face from crime, air pollution, or any number of communicable diseases. Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch Concurring The federal government's powers, however, are not general but limited and divided. It must also act consistently with the Constitution's separation of powers. SENATOR REINBOLD said that issues involving separation of powers must have consistent action. It is critical to separate the executive and legislative branches because the legislative branch makes laws. SENATOR REINBOLD resumed quoting Justice Gorsuch: OSHA's mandate fails that doctrine's test. The agency claims the power to force 84 million Americans to receive a vaccine or undergo regular testing Yet Congress has nowhere clearly assigned so much power to OSHA. Congress has chosen not to afford OSHA or any federal agency - the authority to issue a vaccine mandate. Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch Concurring Yet that is precisely what the agency seeks to do now regulate not just what happens inside the workplace but induce individuals to undertake a medical procedure that affects their lives outside the workplace. 1:52:21 PM SENATOR REINBOLD said she and others have been impacted by vaccine mandates in other cities and states. Many people are being denied participation in healthcare and societal events because of COVID-19 vaccine discrimination. SENATOR REINBOLD resumed quoting Justice Gorsuch: We do not impugn the intentions behind the agency's mandate. Instead, we only discharge our duty to enforce the law's demands when it comes to the question who may govern the lives of 84 million Americans. Respecting those demands may be trying in times of stress. But if this Court were to abide them only in more tranquil conditions, declarations of emergencies would never end and the liberties our Constitution's separation of powers seeks to preserve would amount to little. SENATOR REINBOLD concluded her presentation by saying the Supreme Court struck down the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandate as unconstitutional. She opined that Alaska could be the most unrestricted state in the nation if SB 156 passes. 1:53:52 PM KELLI TOTH, Staff, Senator Reinbold, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, read the sponsor statement for SB 156: SB 156 ensures that a state agency or political subdivision of the state may not adopt or issue regulation, ordinance, or similar policy that requires an individual to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to receive public benefit that is available to the public. Essentially, SB 156 ensures the public is not discriminated against based on COVID-19 vaccine status. In addition, the bill seeks to ensure a state agency, an employee of the state may not require an individual to produce documentation of their COVID-19 vaccination status or immunity passport to travel to or within the state. An individual may object to the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine based on religious, medical, or other grounds. Parents or guardians may object to the administration of a COVID- 19 vaccine to the minor child based on religious, medical, or other grounds. 1:55:17 PM SENATOR HUGHES stated that she has heard from 100s of people in District F and the surrounding area that support SB 156. 1:55:42 PM CHAIR WILSON opened invited testimony on SB 156. 1:55:50 PM DR. RYAN COLE, representing self, Garden City, Idaho, stated that he is a medical doctor trained at the Mayo Clinic in anatomic and clinical pathology. He has done Ph.D. research work in immunology and virology. He has experience with 500,000 patients. He has processed over 150,000 COVID patient tests in his laboratory. He stated his belief that since March 2020, natural immunity has been neglected. During the Black Plague in the 1300s, the individuals who recovered from the disease removed the bodies of the dead. Over 150 peer review papers from Dr. Paul Alexander at Brownstone.org corroborate that natural is superior to vaccinal immunity. Furthermore, in studies, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer omitted the COVID-19 recovered. Those who get a shot after being recovered are two to four times more likely to have an adverse reaction because they develop a hyperimmune reaction. Last week the New York Times stated that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) had stopped gathering data and has only shared a small portion of pediatric data to age 49 with the public. In the UK, where data is collected, 96 percent of children had already had COVID by January. He opined that ignoring natural immunity is a scientific scandal of the highest order, especially when people's freedoms are restricted. He stated there is a false dichotomy between vaccinated and unvaccinated when most individuals fully recover. Some studies report that up to 70 percent of Americans have natural immunity. He referenced Bill Gates stating that the spread of Omicron outperforms vaccines in achieving natural immunity. COVID-19 vaccination does not prevent the disease, its acquisition, spread, or death. Data from the UK and Israel show that most people in intensive care units were double or triple vaccinated, and most deaths were among the triple vaccinated. A shot does not produce secretory antibodies like your eyes, nose, and throat, which neutralize the virus. Studies in California, Wisconsin, Vietnam, and elsewhere show that vaccinated individuals who have not had COVID carry the same viral load as the unvaccinated who have not had COVID; both can spread the disease. However, COVID recovered individuals make the antibodies, and the CDC cannot show one COVID recovered individual who has spread COVID. Yet, employers tell COVID recovered employees who refuse to be vaccinated, that they must be tested. People are being segregated, which is a Title VII equal rights violation. 2:00:34 PM SENATOR BEGICH arrived. DR. COLE said that individuals who suffered through COVID have immunity to the 28 proteins of the virus. In contrast, vaccinated people have immunity to 1 protein, yet the broadly immune are segregated. Individuals who had SARS CoV-1 are immune 18 years later. He said that Pfizer and Moderna stock prices are falling because of the high number of claims received. Cleveland Clinic studied 52,000 employees and reported that no COVID recovered patients contracted the virus again. In contrast, vaccinated individuals were 27 times more likely to contract the virus a second time. Qatar did a study of 700,000 patients with similar results. He opined that segregation does not need to happen because COVID is almost over due to Omicron spreading quickly and providing natural immunity to many. Natural immunity should be considered equal, if not better, than vaccination. There is no longer a medical emergency, so people's rights should not be restricted. Reports from Scotland claim that children have a 52 times higher risk of dying from the COVID vaccine than from the COVID virus. The shot is not without risks and long-term effects. 2:04:37 PM JOAN PRIESTLEY, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, stated she is a retired medical doctor, and she supports SB 156 because it protects citizens' rights concerning vaccinations. Many people are at high risk for severe and even fatal side effects from the COVID vaccines. Other people have expressed religious objections. COVID vaccine side effects, such as heart disease, pose a higher risk to children. SB 156 supports the parental right to protect children from threats to their health. Citizens should not face discrimination due to their medical situations. The vaccinate everyone mindset discounts the benefits of natural immunity. For those who are COVID recovered, the vaccine offers little, if any, advantage. Getting a vaccine after an infection can divert the immune system, making it less protected against future infections. The medical situation has changed; COVID variants are weaker, and early intervention treatments exist. The vaccines do not stop people from getting or transmitting the virus. Alaska public health charts show a continual rise in the number of people vaccinated, and there is no pandemic of unvaccinated people. The concept of vaccine passports is meaningless without scientific rationale. She thanked the committee for hearing SB 156 because it counteracts needless discrimination. 2:07:46 PM MIKE CRUSE, representing self, Palmer, Alaska, stated he has heard rumors that SB 156 would not pass in the House. He asked the Senate to pass SB 156 to protect Alaskan's freedom to decide what is best for themselves. He added that if SB 156 did not pass the House, it would show a partisan denial of science. As a project manager, he knows that government regulates companies and is mandated to protect the rights of individuals. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prevents discrimination against disabled individuals. Title VII makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed to protect an individual's medical information. These laws were passed to protect the citizens. Yet, these laws are being ignored because of the push for everyone to be vaccinated. He said that people like his wife and daughter have religious and medical reasons for not being vaccinated. His family had COVID for two weeks and were still told they must be vaccinated. Being vaccinated does not stop the spread of COVID. However, the narrative for zero COVID and forced vaccination recently shifted. He referenced a report from Impact Research Incorporated, a democratic polling agency. It said a poll on forced vaccination showed it was unpopular and that people were tired of COVID. Therefore, the state of emergency, restrictions, and negative reporting should end so that the new federal administration would not be set up for failure. He stated a true emergency does not just end because people are tired of it. 2:15:01 PM CHAIR WILSON clarified that HIPPA protects patients' information from being shared by medical professionals. It is an individual's choice to disclose personal information. 2:15:46 PM CHAIR WILSON opened public testimony on SB 156. 2:16:28 PM COREY SIDLO, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. He recently retired from the military, where he had taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution. He has fought to preserve freedom, liberty, and honesty. He stated that although he is not anti-vaccination, he is vaccine damaged from his last two injections. He is pro-freedom and urged support of SB 156. 2:18:08 PM DIANA GRIESER, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She said COVID mandates have made being deaf harder. Communication has been made more difficult due to mask mandates and six-foot social distancing. Masks muffle voices and do not allow people to see facial expressions and the movement of lips. Very few people offer to assist through written or other accommodations. ADA violations have been ignored. She supports Senate Bill 156 and the end of mask mandates. 2:20:01 PM REBECCA DUNDORE, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She stated that for the past two years, the rights of the elderly and children were horrifyingly impacted. The elderly were mistreated in the name of safety. Foster children were given no voice and suffered from mandates. Teenagers have had severe mental health issues due to restrictions on their social development, and many adults are scared to resume everyday living. The government should admit its errors and support the constitutional rights of individuals. Alaska is fundamentally based on the protection of individual rights. Businesses, religion, personal choice, health, and privacy are lost when the constitution is not upheld. She stated she would like SB 156 to passed so that individual rights are not violated in the future by hysteria over a virus. 2:22:35 PM LISA WARD, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She said that politicians should not decide how people care for their bodies and that COVID-19 mitigation strategies impacted her family over the past few years. Science shows that vaccines do not solve pandemics because every vaccinated person gains identical antibodies. Any virus that evolves and bypasses one vaccinated person's antibodies will be able to infect others that were vaccinated. To quickly end COVID-19, quit vaccinating. Omicron is a less severe variant, so the vaccinated believe they dodged a bullet while following solution mandates. She said a European Journal of Epidemiology study reported that the increase in COVID-19 is unrelated to vaccination levels. She requested an end to mandates and that SB 156 be passed. 2:24:40 PM SHARON WILDES, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She has worked in genetics for 35 years and has never seen such censorship and disregard for science. It is outrageous that citizens have been banned from buildings and activities. She opined that the City and Borough of Juneau exceeded its government overreach, which exacerbated the unfounded fear instilled in people by the government. She stated that instilling fear in citizens needs to end, which is why she supports SB 156. Society needs to be healed. Vaccine companies are responsible for the VAERS website. The companies were given immunity against damages so that the data would be accurate. Immunity should be taken away if it is not accurate. 2:27:26 PM BILL WILDES, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. He said he is an American, and humans should not discriminate based on a fear-mongering brand of COVID. He opined that the CDC designed a situation more extensive than what is realized. Information on the CDC and its patents can be found on the internet. He opined that the CDC is a rat and SB 156 needs to be supported. 2:28:55 PM AMANDA SPRATT, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She stated that COVID-19 vaccination mandates are robbing her sons of their freedom. A son in the Coast Guard refused vaccination and asked for a religious exemption, which was denied. He was shunned by the captain, even though he and 50 percent of his shipmates had COVID. Furthermore, vaccinated and unvaccinated people contract and transmit COVID at the same rate. Since he is unvaccinated, he is not allowed to take leave or travel further than 50 miles from the base. He is always required to wear a mask, even when underway. He will be losing a career over an untested experimental and ineffective vaccine for a virus that 20-year-olds have a 99.98 percent chance of surviving. Her second son attends UAS. He is not allowed to live on campus. He is concerned that he will lose his internship and scholarship because he is unvaccinated. She said her third son plays high school sports. Since he is unvaccinated, he is required to take weekly COVID tests. Coaches have read out loud the vaccination status of students. He was denied the opportunity to play intramural sports because of his vaccination status. He would like to be a radiologist, but the news is reporting that universities require vaccination for admission. He has no hope of retaining his medical freedom and achieving his dreams. She asked that SB 156 be passed. 2:32:00 PM MARY HUNTER, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She stated she contracted rheumatoid arthritis from a flu vaccine and therefore chose to be unvaccinated. Following vaccination, family members and others have experienced heart attacks and other health issues. She opined that the vaccination is unsafe and that the unvaccinated should not have to face the risks of lung and reproductive organ damage caused by the spike protein vaccinated individuals transmit. 2:35:26 PM DARRELL HARMON, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. He stated that two friends were asked to vaccinate or lose their jobs. The vaccine injured the one who chose to vaccinate. The other friend lost his job. People are being discriminated against based on their vaccination status. Passing SB 156 might not stop unlawful acts, but it would acknowledge that the legislature knows right from wrong. 2:38:05 PM MERYL NASS, representing self, Ellsworth, Maine, testified in support of SB 156. She read her testimony as follows: I am an internal medicine physician whose license was temporarily suspended in January because I was supposedly spreading misinformation about vaccines and early treatment for COVID. I spoke in Alaska four months ago about this during a seminar. Thank you, chairperson and members of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, for allowing me to speak. I'm here to present some of the latest information on COVID vaccination, which was made public yesterday by New York's Department of Health and by the United Kingdom's Department of Health and Social Care this morning. The data from over 365,000 children aged five to 11 in New York State revealed that by one month after they were fully vaccinated, there was almost no protection remaining against COVID. By five weeks, fully vaccinated children of that age were actually at higher risk of developing COVID than unvaccinated children, with the increase in risk becoming even greater over time. It seems remarkable. This is called negative efficacy, and we're seeing it in data from several other countries. Although, the CDC is not acknowledging it at this point in time. There were over 800,000 children aged 12 to 17, and their protection was checked a month after they were fully vaccinated. It ranged from 40 to 67 percent depending on age, but it too dropped gradually, though steadily, over the next several weeks. It might seem that boosters were the answer, but they're not. Europe's FDA, which is called the European Medicines Agency, warned against too many boosters and their potential to cause immune damage on January 13, 2022. Very few media in the United States covered this warning. Unfortunately, we're finally coming around to acknowledge that there's no way to control the spread of COVID and its variants. For that reason, many states are already lifting their mask mandates, and the vaccine mandates are starting to go away also. In the UK, COVID vaccine mandates for health care workers were recently lifted. UK conducted an online poll where for a week in early February, 90,000 people responded to that poll. Ninety percent said they did not want health care worker vaccine mandates. Only 9 percent of the people who responded wanted mandates. Both the data and the people have spoken. Vaccine mandates for children make no scientific sense. Vaccine mandates for healthcare workers are unwanted by both the workers and the public they serve. Discrimination by vaccination status when the benefit of vaccinations rapidly declines and the vaccinated can still catch and spread COVID is illogical and arbitrary. Please vote in favor of SB 156. 2:41:30 PM SALLY DUNCAN, representing self, Two Rivers, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. 2:41:58 PM KENDAL CRUSE, representing self, Palmer, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She stated she is a health care provider who has experienced political discrimination under the guise of public health. Business owners and hospital administrators have violated civil and privacy rights; even fully remote health care workers were required to vaccinate. She was not granted a religious exemption and was fired in 2021 for not vaccinating. Studies show that vaccinated health care workers give incalculable nosocomial infections to hospital patients regardless of their vaccination status. Her husband could not enter the hospital for the birth of their child without being vaccinated. It is critical to pass SB 156 so that no emergency can suspend inherent civil and privacy rights. 2:44:37 PM BRENDA HASTIE, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She asked the legislature to remind organizations and employers that Alaskans are free. Misinformation about COVID needs to be corrected to end fear and medical discrimination. She was laid off from work for refusing to wear a mask. Future employers and airlines asked for vaccination status or proof of a negative COVID test. She reminded them that they were asking for private information. She was not allowed to fly. 2:47:35 PM IRENE QUEDNOW, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She stated that medical information is private and should not have to be disclosed to enter a business or be employed. Only licensed medical professionals can prescribe medical treatments, such as masks and vaccinations. 2:50:51 PM LISA GENTEMANN, representing self, Eagle River, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. As a former dental hygienist, she knows that health care information is private and wants it to remain that way. She stated that the COVID vaccine is not real because, historically, real vaccines provide immunity. The vaccine is a scientific experiment, and people who choose not to participate should not face discrimination. The injection has harmed many people. It is troubling that other vaccinations were discontinued after 50 deaths, but this has not been the case for the COVID injection. No amount of federal money is worth the risk of hurting Alaskans. Anyone who influences individuals to get the vaccination should be held accountable for the harm it might cause. This includes protecting those enlisted in the military. 2:53:42 PM MARIANNE E. BURKE, representing self, Wasilla, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She agreed with the testimony of others. She has always been against vaccination. Home remedies do not introduce toxins into the body that destroy its ability to heal itself. The COVID vaccine is gene therapy and does not contain the COVID germ. It is experimental. The number of adverse reactions is under-reported to VAERS. The citizens of America must fight against mandates if they do not want to be like the Jews were with the Nazis. 2:55:59 PM ELAINE HEDDEN, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She stated she is a health care practitioner. A patient's brother had difficulty with fatigue and walking a few days after getting his second Moderna experimental biological agent jab. He did not have a history of stroke or clotting. Ten months later, he had blood clots in his lungs. SB 156 needs to pass to stop discrimination. In classrooms, children are being coerced under duress to reveal whether they have been vaccinated. She opined that this is wrong because children do not know their rights. Children are experiencing psychological trauma from playing vax tag, a game where the child who is "it" pokes classmates in the arm. She opined that this is child abuse, and SB 156 needs to pass so that teachers and administrators can be held accountable. 2:58:33 PM DONALD THOMPSON, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. He stated he has an autoimmune disease. The vaccine has proven lethal to many people and has harmed the health of many more. 2:59:30 PM MARIA PATRICIA, representing self, Deltana, Alaska, testified in support of SB 156. She said that SB 156 is about protecting the right to be left alone and make her own faith choices free from discrimination. She opined that she has never been required to delegate her authority to any group, and the non-delegation doctrine forbids the legislature from giving away its power to any unelected agents. She stated that as a private common law attorney, she has worked with people who have been under unconscionable threat, duress, and coercion from their employers to be vaccinated. She referenced the preamble of the Constitution and said that people should be cognizant that liberty is an elusive concept incapable of definitive, comprehensive explication. Yet, at its core is the notion of total personal immunity from governmental control. No right is held more sacred or carefully guarded by common law than the right of every individual to the possession and control of his own person. She stated citizens already have this immunity but passing SB 156 will strengthen people's understanding of their constitutional protections. 3:03:55 PM SENATOR REINBOLD thanked the testifiers for their input and the co-sponsors for supporting SB 156. 3:04:26 PM SENATOR HUGHES thanked those who waited but were unable to testify. CHAIR WILSON held SB 156 in committee. 3:04:55 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Wilson adjourned the Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting at 3:04 p.m.

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 156 Testimony (Sponsors Office) 2.25.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Sectional 2.8.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Sponsor Statement 2.8.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Testimony 2.25.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Legal Memo 9.9.21.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Letters 2.28.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Supporting Doc AFLDS White Paper 2.28.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Supporting Doc Sen Johnson Summit 1.25.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Testimony (Sponsors Office) 2.28.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Supporting Doc Rolan Email 8.8.21.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 Presentation 3.1.22.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156
SB 156 (New) Presentation 3.1.2022.pdf SHSS 3/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
SB 156