On the whole, I've been happy with how the Democratic leadership in the Oregon legislature have been going about the people's business.
But not today.
Killing the much-needed bill that would eliminate non-medical reasons (philosophical and religious) for not vaccinating children was a stick in the eye both to the health of Oregonians, and to those, like me, who care about using science as a guide to social policy-making.
I just sent an email to Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward, after learning from a Statesman Journal story that she has dropped Senate Bill 442.
Download Senator drops Oregon vaccine mandate bill
That's a big loss for Oregon, and a big win for science-deniers. We can now expect global warming deniers, evolution deniers, and others to emulate the tactics successfully used by the vaccine effectiveness deniers.
Here's what I said:
Wow. I just learned that you’ve given up on the vaccine bill. Very disappointing for those of us, like my wife and myself, who believe sound science should guide legislative policy-making, not science-deniers.
Sen.ElizabethSteinerHayward@state.or.us
Discover more from Hinessight
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I think it’s unfair to target her for the failure of the caucus to grow a spine. If she doesn’t have the votes, she doesn’t have the votes.
Besides, the passage of the “clean fuels” bill should put to rest any notion that the Oregon Legislature uses science in its deliberations.
Pumping millions in subsidies to Big Agribiz to use GMOs while destroying topsoil and polluting, while raising food prices but, simultaneously, failing to take action against coal and natural gas exports, is not following the evidence.