Managing Editor's Note: Seems there's a new trend  to affect your rights as a citizen to partake or refrain from healthcare procedures.  Just as there is a push to pass  laws requiring a woman receive an ultrasound prior to an abortion, California is trying to require parents to seek out a physician to get a written letter to exercise their right to a philosophical exemption to vaccination.  I am not comparing vaccination to abortion - let's not get into that debate.  It's a similar technique of setting up hurdles and hoops that might make a person change their mind, however.  Californians, please see the ACTION ALERT here and also repeated below.

CA Senate Sponsor of anti-vaccine rights bill! Received $58,000 from vaccine companies
 
California State Senator Lois Wolk recently sponsored a bill (AB2109), that if passed, would severely restrict Californian’s rights to vaccine choice by requiring individuals and parents to obtain a signed document from a physician prior to exercising a philosophical exemption.
 
Last year Wolk supported a newly enacted law that allows minors to obtain medical treatment and vaccines for several dozen infectious diseases, including all sexually transmitted diseases, without a parent’s knowledge or consent. So clearly Wolk thinks a child is more competent to make decisions about vaccines and other medical treatment than that same child’s parents. That’s crazy. What could possibly have influenced her to come to that conclusion?
 
According to www.followthemoney.org, the website of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, in her last five election cycles Wolk has received $58,390 from vaccine companies. Including $6000 from Merck, $4000 from Eli Lilly, $6,459 from Glaxo, $2,500 from Pharma (the industry lobbying group), $1000 from Pfizer, $1000 from Sanofi Aventis, $1000 for Astra Zeneca, and $3000 from Johnson & Johnson among others.
 
Californians, if you think that is as crazy as we do please click on the link below to send an email to your California State Senator and Assemblymember expressing your opposition to AB 2109.

ACTION ALERT
 
We were annoyed when we learned that the Assembly Sponsor of the AB 2109, Richard Pan, MD, had received $6000 from vaccine makers, imagine our surprise when we learned that Senator Lois Wolk had bagged ten times that much.
 
And if you have time please call Sen. Lois Wolk and ask her staff, politely, what she is worried about, Californians rights and health, or her donors' business interests? You might also want to call Assemblymember Dr. Richard Pan’s office and politely ask the same questions.
 
Assemblymember Richard Pan, (916) 319-2005
State Senator Lois Volk, (916) 651-4005