Health Freedom Idaho has spent the last two years going head to head with Idaho Department of Health and Welfare over their ‘immunization exemption form’.  The form was purportedly ‘required’ by all schools and daycares in accordance with a rule created by IDHW. The problem? This RULE created by a state department directly undermined an existing Idaho STATUTE (law).  Parents, schools and legislators recognized the issue prior to HFI involvement. State Representative Heather Scott brought it up with the Idaho Attorney General, who made it clear that the health department should NOT encourage schools to deny entrance to children whose parents had complied with the statute and submitted a signed statement invoking exemptions (in place of the falsely required form). 1  

Health Freedom Idaho presented multiple bills, over the course of the last two legislative sessions, addressing this inconsistency. SB 1050  and SB 1227  were each created to clarify that parents submitting written statements, in accordance with Idaho Statute regarding exemptions, was perfectly legal procedure for invoking exemption status for their children, rather than being coerced into using the IDHW exemption form. Neither bill was ever heard. The chairman of the senate health committee drawered them to avoid allowing these bills to be voted on by the entire legislature. This allowed IDHW to continue undermining law and train school staff to (illegally) deny the enrollment of children to schools and daycares whose parents chose to forego THEIR “official” form. The health department even went so far as to suggest that school staff go behind parents’ backs by filling out sectionsparents intentionally left blank.

PARENTS STAND UP. CHILD DENIED ACCESS TO SCHOOL OVER AN ILLEGAL FORM.

Issues surrounding the IDHW immunization form escalated. Sara’s son was denied access to an Idaho kindergarten after she submitted her own signed statement to the school, along with her child’s enrollment package, a month prior to the start date. Just days before school began, she was told her child was denied entry because she used her own signed statement, despite it being in full compliance with Idaho statute, rather than submit the IDHW form. This drew a LOT of media attention to the problem. It went up the chain of command and, rightfully, Sara’s son’s enrollment denial was overturned by the Superintendent of Education.

GOV’T ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE FORM MORE PLEASING.

The IDHW immunization exemption form was problematic from the beginning. Senator Anton called out the form’s most significant issues at the SB 1050 Health Committee hearing. The original form from IDHW attempted to coerce parents to ‘admit’ to putting their children at risk by choosing not to vaccinate. It also demanded parents provide the state with their religious convictions for rejecting vaccinations. Throughout the years, the form has been redesigned and presented to the legislators and rule committees, but each draft continued to contain components not required by Idaho statute. 

In a goodwill attempt, Sara was invited to a meeting to voice her opinion of the most recent ‘revamp’ on the IDHW immunization exemption form. Sara made a point to advise the committee that the form, in itself, is a non-requirement according to the Idaho statute.

“The state–prescribed form, based on IDAPA 16.02.15,  is in violation of code 39–4802 and 39–4804. The form developed by IDHW still falls far outside the scope of Idaho code 39–1118(2) and 39-4802(2).”

Now, you may ask, “Have you seen the new form? They have taken the offensive language out of it.”  Idaho Department of Health and Welfare altered the form both in February 2017 and in October 2017. It has changed, yet again, in 2018 with the addition of check boxes to give parents the option to ‘opt-out’ of providing non-required medical information utilized in vaccine tracking. Still, this “new” form implies that parents should provide information which IS NOT required by statute in order to invoke an immunization exemption for school or daycare attendance. 

Health Freedom Idaho still stands against the form and advises parents to submit their written signed statement for vaccine exemption to schools and daycare. 

HFI ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO STAND FIRM. SUCCESS!! QUIETLY THE GOVERNMENT APPROVED NEW RULES! 

Guess what folks! CHANGES HAPPENED!  < See the new administrative rules for schools and daycares > 

This is good news! Now the Department’s rules are in agreement with the LAW. This should not have taken so long and such a large effort to achieve. Idaho’s parents expect the schools and the legislature to be open to the will of the people and clearly and completely follow the law. We should have had a public hearing on this issue long ago. The resistance of the department and the legislative process in regard to the vaccine opt out matter was a perfect example of government being reluctant to follow the law while adopting an attitude of “we know best.” That is not the way things should work under representative government. I am proud to have joined ranks with those standing up for their rights under Idaho law. I was fully prepared to push this issue next legislative session, but thankfully that won’t be necessary. 
Dan Foreman 
Senator – District Five

The schools and day cares will now be required to follow the “letter of the law” allowing vaccine exemptions to children with a written statement provided it has only these 4 pieces of information. 

A signed statement that must include: (5-18-18)

• i. The name of child and the child’s date of birth; and (5-18-18)
• ii. A statement indicating that the child is exempt from immunization as provided in Section 110 of this rule for religious or other objections; and (5-18-18)
• iii. The signature of the parent, custodian, or legal guardian (5-18-18)

So there you have it folks!  We stood up together to make sure that our health freedom for vaccine exemptions was protected. Remember we stand stronger, and our voice is louder when we stand together. JOIN US!

 #LibertyForever #HFIdaho

1 In September 2015, Representative Scott sent a series of questions to the Idaho Attorney General. The first answers received are here (9-9-15-IdahoAGOpinion.pdf). In response to several questions that were not clearly addressed, Representative Scott sent out a series of follow up questions. The answers to these questions are here (10-14-2015-IdahoAGResponse.pdf).Please note the answers to questions 3 and 4. If you are having trouble with your school accepting an exemption letter versus filling out an IDHW exemption form, feel free to download this Idaho AG response and share it with your school. 

2 Schools are falsely telling parents seeking vaccine exemptions that they must fill out and sign a state prescribed form that is “incriminating” based on IDAPA 16.02.15, an Administrative Rule in conflict with Idaho law. See Administrative Rule 16.02.15 Immunization Requirements for Idaho School Children (page 6)
http://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/16/index.html

Come hear what the legislature did ‘to you’ and ‘for you’ and meet new conservative citizens candidates. Who’s going to the Legislative Recap and Reload this Sun? Health Freedom Idaho is helping to organize the silent auction which starts at 6pm.  #LibertyForever

Details

Date:

March 18

Time:

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Event Category:

Political Event

Event Tags:

Idaho Legislature

Venue

The Ambrose School

6100 N. Locust Grove Road
Meridian, ID United States+ Google Map

The Constitution of the United States and of the State of Idaho begin with the words, “We, the people…” because here the people are the government. We realize it and are so honored to be hosting this online town hall meeting. If health freedom and parental rights are important to you than THIS is the meeting you should be a part of. 

Remember, even if these folks are not in your district they still vote on important issues that will effect Idaho citizens. This is the time to get to know them. Encourage their pro health freedom stances and educate them on things they may not be aware of yet. 

We hope to see you online Thurs March 22. The registration link is www.IdahoLibertyWebinar.com

Folks in the Twin Falls area may be shocked to know what their allegedly conservative senator, Lee Heider has been doing at the state capitol. Recently, as the Chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, his shenanigans included continuing to keep locked in his drawer a bill, SB1227, which would protect parents’ rights regarding their choice to exempt their children from vaccinations and keep their medical information confidential from meddling government agencies like the Department of Health & Welfare when putting their child into school or daycare. Senator Heider assured Senator Dan Foreman, who agreed to carry the bill this year, that Senate Bill 1227 would be on last Monday’s agenda, but of course, it never appeared. Heider pulled the same stunt last year, but also had agreed to carry the bill himself to insure that it would never leave his drawer and have a chance of being passed.

The good people that live in Twin Falls area might also want to know just how Lee Heider has been voting. According to the American Conservative Union’s Accuratings and the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Freedom Index for last year, Senator Heider votes for our freedoms and conservative values a mere 53%-55% of the time. Wow! That sounds very much like he is voting as a liberal/progressive.

A Bit of Background

Senator Lee Heider (Republican – Dist. 24) has been using his position as the Chairman of the State Senate Health & Welfare Committee to block legislation that would protect parental rights and freedom of choice in health care, while simultaneously assisting very controversial agendas of government agencies.

Prior to the 2017 legislative session, Senator Lee Heider agreed to sponsor a bill that would clarify the existing statute and protect the rights of Idaho’s parents from the attempts of the Department of Health & Welfare to gather confidential medical information with their intentionally discriminating/incriminating form.  IDHW had written a rule that was contrary to the intent of the statute, and had been mandating their form be used when attempting to register children for school.

On January 23rd,  Heider met again with Sarah Clendenon and Miste Karlfeldt, members of Health Freedom Idaho, a nonprofit organization interested in protecting the freedom of health choice for Idahoans, to discuss plans to present the bill.  Surprisingly, Heider then informed them that it was already too late, as the deadline for personal bills was the following day.  He also made it clear that his Senate Health & Welfare Committee members would never agree to pass the bill.  HFI requested that Heider move forward with the bill anyway, as planned, but Heider ignored their requests, until Representative Christy Zito agreed to carry the bill.  At that point, Senator Heider put the issue before his committee, and they agreed to have bill, SB 1050, printed.  

Who Does Senator Heider Work For?

However, it quickly became apparent that Senator Heider, did not intend to ever let the bill leave his drawer.  In fact, Senator Heider told Miste Karlfeldt, Executive Director of Health Freedom Idaho that he had instructions from Governor Otter, directing him to keep the bill drawered.  The governor and Dick Armstrong, the director of the Department of Health & Welfare, had plans for a bill that would change the statute to specify that IDHW’s form be required from parents when attempting to register their children for school after exercising their right to exempt them from vaccinations.  After members of Health Freedom Idaho and other concerned parents inundated the governor’s office with phone calls and emails protesting such actions, the controversial bill was never presented.

The Bait and Switch

 After more phone calls and emails to Senator Heider and his committee members, requesting that SB 1050 be heard, it was finally scheduled for February 23rd.  However, Miste Karlfeldt received an email at 4:50pm on the 22nd stating that Heider had changed the agenda and SB 1050 was no longer to be heard the next day.  All those that had prepared to give public testimony and travel to Boise to support the bill were left high and dry. The email did state that HFI could give the presentation they had requested to give to the Health & Welfare Committee, but that Dick Armstrong would first be presenting on IDHW’s updated form. Senator Heider had previously informed HFI that no public testimony would be allowed during presentations.

In the Health & Welfare Committee meeting on the 23rd, it appeared that Heider had changed the rules, and that testimony would be heard, of which many from IDHW were fully prepared for.  Though not fully prepared, but frustrated with Heider’s manipulations, many from HFI signed up to testify anyway.  Heider told Dick Armstrong to take all the time he needed to present the “benefits” of his revised form. Finally, Leslie Manookian with HFI began her presentation. Heider rudely interrupted Leslie partway through her presentation to inform her that there were many who wished to testify, and asked if she could please quickly conclude. 

Finally, in one last attempt to sway the outcome of the meeting by manipulating who got to testify, Heider informed those present that since there was not enough time to hear testimony from everyone, he was going to skip around on the list.  IDHW’s group were favored with more testimony opportunities including the final testimony given by Dick Armstrong, himself.

After all this, SB 1050 was never heard in committee. With Senator Heider’s dishonest tactics and rule manipulation, how can good bills ever get past “his” Health & Welfare Committee?

Don’t let Heider get away with this – he works for you, after all – contact him TODAY!    
phone: 208-731-1631    
email: LHEIDER@SENATE.IDAHO.GOV