Vaccination opponents aren't just contributing to political candidates in Minnesota. They're pushing a policy agenda in the coming session as well, as we had noted last week in MN23B special: Anti-vax Canary Party's Jennifer Larson contributed $1000 to Jeremy Munson:
Larson is also a co-founder of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota, which is gearing up for the Minnesota legislative session, according to its Facebook page. It's holding a briefing for legislators only on February 7:
Minnesota citizens, we need YOUR help!
We are hosting a legislative briefing to share your concerns of health freedom and Informed Consent with our legislators so they will be prepared going into the 2018 session.
They are not in session YET so can you all please via Facebook, twitter, Ig, Snapchat, email, snail mail and/or phone personally invite your legislators? Let them know you appreciate their service and as your representative you are asking they attend on your behalf because the issue is so important to your family. Say as much as you like about why and that you look forward to being available to answer any questions the may have afterwards. The more invitations and calls, the better!
****This briefing is LEGISLATORS ONLY. Admittance will be monitored and limited to them only. This is a safe space for them to listen and discuss with no pressure from the media or an audience.****
Would Munson join in that agenda if elected? Parents in the district should ask Munson if he'll vote for Representative Cindy Pugh's anti-vax measures.
In today's Morning Hot Dish, J. Patrick Coolican--who had mentioned that post last week, wrote:
Minnesota legislators got an invite for a legislator-only "informational briefing" February 7 at the Minneapolis Club sponsored by, get this, Minnesota Vaccine Freedom Coalition, "which represents thousands of Minnesotans who fight for informed consent with regard to vaccination," according to the invite. "Vaccine policy and pending vaccine legislation will be presented, with an opportunity to discuss these with advocates and other legislators." Someone be sure to go and tell me which legislators are there because the public should know of their interest.
That prompted a tweet:
From @jpcoolican's morning email. I can't even. I want to be invited to tell everyone how chicken pox almost killed me as a child. pic.twitter.com/zXMTQlQq5G
— Andrea Pasiuk Perzichilli (@apasiuk) January 30, 2018
Perzichilli is a lobbyist for health, construction, clean energy and environmental concerns. According to online records at the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, her only state-level political contribution was to the HRCC, the Minnesota Republican House Caucus campaign committee.
Star Tribune editorial writer Jill Burcum responded:
Less than a year after MN's measles outbreak ended. Brazen, reckless and irresponsible. https://t.co/b4VBHWL9sr
— jburcum (@jburcum) January 30, 2018
Therein lies the cruel irony: Pugh, who is carrying water for the anti-vaxxers, is also a notorious anti-Muslim, as we note in Anti-Muslims flip over what democracy looks like at eight caucus trainings at Twin Cities mosques and Strib picks up more on GOP fantods about precinct caucus trainings at Islamic centers.
During that measles outbreak, the anti-Muslim movement blamed Somali-Minnesota people, rather than the movement that targeted them, as we observed in MN23B special: Anti-vax Canary Party's Jennifer Larson contributed $1000 to Jeremy Munson (sorry about the redundant material):
Canary Party crowd implicated in 2017 measles outbreak
Why would a contribution from Larson matter? In Minnesota, Larson's Canary Party co-founder Mark Blaxill was among those lecturing Somali-American parents against vaccine last spring when a measles outbreak flared up in their community. The Star Tribune's Erin Adler reported in Speaker says vaccines and autism may be linked, a view denied by public health officials:
A national speaker who believes there are links between vaccines and autism told a group of Somali-American parents Sunday night that they should choose whether to vaccinate their children by weighing risks and benefits. He also said the government has lied in its previous vaccine research and that the danger of measles is overstated.
About 90 people met at Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis to hear Mark Blaxill, who is on the executive leadership team of the nonprofit Health Choice, present information on measles outbreaks, autism rates and what he said were the fraudulent results of a 2004 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the link between autism and vaccines, a theory that health officials have debunked.
"It should be the right of every parent and family to make their own decisions," said Blaxill.
Blaxill's visit comes in the midst of Minnesota's second measles outbreak in seven years. As of Sunday morning, there were 32 cases of measles in Minnesota, including instances in Ramsey and Stearns counties as well as Hennepin County, where the majority are concentrated.
The Minnesota Department of Health says "all Minnesota children 12 months and older who have not received a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine should get it now."
Public health officials have said vaccination rates among Somali-Americans have fallen in recent years as more parents opt out due to autism fears. . . .
While Larson and Blaxill insist they're not anti-vax, that point of view would make a cat laugh.
Check out the consequences in the CNN report, Anti-vaccine groups blamed in Minnesota measles outbreak and Despite measles outbreak, anti-vaccine activists in Minnesota refuse to back down in the Washington Post.
Larson is also a co-founder of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota, which is gearing up for the Minnesota legislative session, according to its Facebook page. It's holding a briefing for legislators only on February 7:
Minnesota citizens, we need YOUR help!
We are hosting a legislative briefing to share your concerns of health freedom and Informed Consent with our legislators so they will be prepared going into the 2018 session.
They are not in session YET so can you all please via Facebook, twitter, Ig, Snapchat, email, snail mail and/or phone personally invite your legislators? Let them know you appreciate their service and as your representative you are asking they attend on your behalf because the issue is so important to your family. Say as much as you like about why and that you look forward to being available to answer any questions the may have afterwards. The more invitations and calls, the better!
****This briefing is LEGISLATORS ONLY. Admittance will be monitored and limited to them only. This is a safe space for them to listen and discuss with no pressure from the media or an audience.****
Would Munson join in that agenda if elected? Parents in the district should ask Munson if he'll vote for Representative Cindy Pugh's anti-vax measures. According to a post encouraging political contributions on the group's Facebook page:
Hey all. Attached is the link that talks about the MN Political Contribution Refund. It is $50 per individual or $100 a family. You see you can contribute more than once and will be refunded. You will receive a receipt for your donation. You send that in with a form filled out and the state sends the money back to you. It's a no brainer for us!! Please consider contributing to those legislator's campaigns that support us and the MNGOP. MNGOP supports all of our friendlies since most are republicans. Send me questions. ...
Minnesota's xenophobic ranters blamed refugees for the outbreak of measles but the anti-vaxxers are for real doing their bit. Meanwhile, Rep.Ilhan Omar, DFL-Minneapolis fought for more funding for outreach, education and vaccination.
Will Munson support efforts similar to Omar's appeal--or side with the anti-vaccine crowd and risk children's health? A top leader in the movement is a large donor to his campaign after all. Will he return the money so there's no confusion for voters about where his loyalties lie: activist cash or children's safety?
Let's hope a little sunlight gets this crowd scurrying back to the anti-science shadows.
UPDATE: J. Patrick Coolican reports in this morning's Hot Dish Politics:
But two GOP sources tipped me off to this: Larson is actually the party's finance chair.
The link sends readers to a memo that includes this info:
I am pleased to announce and welcome Jennifer Larson as our new Finance Chair. As a business owner, entrepreneur and CEO, Jennifer brings with her a depth and breadth of leadership experience on a state and national level that will help elevate our party's fundraising efforts. Jennifer currently serves as CEO and Co-Founder of Vibrant Technologies and founded the Holland Autism Center in 2004. Additionally she is involved in several philanthropic activities around Autism.
Those activities include the anti-vaccine efforts. Nice euphemism if you can find it.
Also of interest, though related to the ongoing saga of R.D. Offutt money and influence in Minnesota politics and policy making:
Please also join me in welcoming Adam Gilbertson. Adam currently serves at the Deputy Chair for the Minnesota 2nd Congressional District Republican Party. He was also a national delegate to the 2016 RNC in Cleveland and is a veteran of the Iraq war serving for nine-years in the US Army. Adam currently works as a General Manager for a large John Deere dealer network focused on machine guidance technology and the integration of drone technology in construction. He is a resident of Lakeville with his wife Sarah and their 6 year old son Henry.
In his new role as Deputy Finance Chair, Adam will be responsible for supporting the strategic fundraising efforts of the state party and opening up new sources of contributions to ensure a strong and successful party.
That "large John Deere dealer network" would be our old friends at R.D.Offutt, the North Dakota potato and network of John Deere dealers. Gilbertson is the general manager at the Bloomington RDO Integrated Controls, described on parent company's website:
RDO Integrated Controls provides sales and service support for positioning solutions to our construction, mining, survey and landfill customers. We are one of the most experienced Topcon dealers in the United States. Our vision is to be a leading positioning dealer in the construction industry. We have a team of experts which cover the territories of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.rdointegratedcontrols.com.
Mining? Landfills? Such activities would never show up in legislative debates, unless one thinks back to this stuff in a 2015 post, Love McNamara's plan to rob landfill trusts? You'll adore raiding MVTF from Enviro Fund. But we digress.
Screengrab: The Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota shared Cindy Pugh for Minnesota's event, under this head note: Support a key legislator that is carrying bills for our cause!
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