Bluestem's been tracking anti-vaccine sentiment in the Minnesota legislature for years, as early as my 2013 post--MN Representative Mary Franson repeats discredited theories linking vaccines and autism--so a story in the Forum Communication chain papers caught my attention, particularly at a time when the nation's seeing measles outbreaks.
In Minnesota Republican calls vaccines 'poison' in committee hearing, Mark Wasson reports:
ST. PAUL — A Minnesota legislator spoke out against allowing child care facilities to set their own policies regarding immunizations, calling vaccines poison, during a committee hearing Tuesday, March 19.
Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar, R-Fredenberg Township, commented after a proposed bill, HF367, was presented in the House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee this week. It seeks to give child care providers the option to adopt an immunization policy that would not allow for a conscientiously held belief exemption.
Under Minnesota statute, anyone over 2 months old must be immunized to enroll in schools or child care with an exemption for medical reasons, immunity and conscientious objections.
Zeleznikar objected to the bill and over several minutes told committee members that vaccines are poison, that the bill would negatively affect the workforce in northern Minnesota and she called into question the effectiveness of herd immunity.
"Last year we passed a cannabis bill. There's many people that want to do that because it grows from the ground. It's natural," she said during Tuesday's hearing. "And yet now we're saying to families, by the way, you don't have a choice for a poison that could kill you."
As evidence of her claims, Zeleznikar sent information about vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which lists possible side effects. On its site, the CDC states there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury or death.
However, vaccines can prevent infectious diseases that once killed or harmed people, according to the CDC, which says that without vaccines, children are at risk of getting ill or dying from diseases like measles and whooping cough. . . .
Lovely. Later, she walked it back in a statement to the Forum New Service, Wasson reports:
. . . Zeleznikar acknowledged the low risk of vaccine injuries and said Minnesota has a good track record for childhood vaccination rates when asked to provide context about her statements for this story.
"I worked in healthcare my entire career, and I am not anti-vaccine," Zeleznikar wrote in a statement to Forum News Service. "In fact, I have received vaccinations and had my own kids vaccinated. With that said, as a State Representative, I respect the importance for informed consent for medications, medical procedures, and vaccinations." . . .
The bill's author responded:
. . .“This bill would simply allow each child care provider to make their own decision about accepting exemptions to vaccines only in the case of parental preference,” bill author Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, said. “Child care providers are private businesses and should be allowed to choose the clients they serve, within the bounds of anti-discrimination laws of course, and vaccine status is not a protected class. ...
There's lots more in the Forum Communications story. It's behind a paywall, but a subscription gives a reader access to all Forum papers in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Watch the committee testimony on the bill here, beginning at the 37:44 minute mark. Zeleznikar and Krista Knudsen,Rep. Krista Knudsen, R-Lake Shore, posted a Facebook video prior to the hearing in which the two shared their support for opposition to childhood vaccines.
As my late father might have said, that's a pair to draw to.
Screenshot: Natalie Zeleznikar, R-Fredenberg Township, speaks during a House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee on Tuesday, March 19. Contributed / Minnesota Legislature to Forum News Services.
Related posts
- MN state rep Tom Murphy to save consumers from livestock mRNA vaccination conspiracies
- Action 4 Liberty's senator calls COVID-19 vaccines a ‘death shot’ at Capitol rally
- Scott Jensen to speak--again--at "vaccine awareness" Global Health Freedom Summit
- Late on the MNGOP leadership story: RPM's new treasurer prominent anti-vaccination activist
- MN Representative Mary Franson repeats discredited theories linking vaccines and autism
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6
Comments