This week at the Mississippi State Capitol, Mississippi Parents for Vaccine Rights leaders met with too many legislators to list. Meetings were productive and smooth.
The following legislators are special mentions for their engagement with the people in their district and their time and attention in their meetings with us. The following lawmakers gave us an exceptional listening ear, whether it was a meeting set up by constituents, or perhaps they informally approached us in the hall or hung out with us at our get-together Tuesday night.
The following lawmakers gave us a bit of extra attention, so I want to return the gesture here:
Rep Shane Aguirre Rep Nicholas Ryan Bain
Rep Mark Baker
Sen Juan Barnett
Rep Jim Beckett
Rep Richard Bennett
Rep Randy Boyd
Rep Chris Brown
Sen Terry C. Burton
Rep Charles Busby
Rep Larry Byrd
Rep Bubba Carpenter
Sen Videt Carmichael
Rep Joel Carter
Rep Gary Chism
Rep John Corley
Rep Dana Criswell
Sen Bob M. Dearing
Rep Scott DeLano
Sen Sally Burchfield Doty
Rep Dan Eubanks
Rep John Faulkner
Rep Robert Foster
Rep Jeff Guice
Rep Greg Haney
Sen Josh Harkins
Sen Angela Burks Hill
Rep Greg Holloway
Rep Joey Hood
Rep Steve Hopkins
Rep Mac Huddleston Rep Abe Hudson
Sen Billy Hudson
Rep Jay Hughes
Rep Lataisha Jackson Rep Robert Johnson
Sen Russell Jolly
Rep Bill Kincade
Sen Dean Kirby
Rep Missy Magee
Rep Vince Mangold
Rep Doug Mcleod
Rep Roun McNeal
Rep Chuck Middleton
Rep Carl Mickens
Rep Tom Miles
Rep Sam Mims
Sen David Parker
Sen Rita Parks
Rep Donnie Scoggin
Rep Cheikh Taylor
Rep Brad A. Touchstone
Rep Tom Weathersby
Rep Cory Wilson
Sen Neil Whaley
Sen JP Wilemon
Rep Stacey Wilkes
Sen Tammy Witherspoon
Sen Charles Younger
Rep Hank Zuber
We're most especially grateful to Rep Andy Gipson for picking up Mark Formby's torch and carrying it forward! Also, MPVR loves and appreciates the great guys from DeSoto County, Rep Dan Eubanks, Rep Dana Criswell, and Rep Steve Hopkins for their dedication to this issue that is so critical to the health of our children and the freedom of our families.
We commend Rep Sonya Barnes for giving us a full 30 minutes for hosting the Black Caucus Luncheon, and Rep Becky Currie for giving us extra time, as well, at the Conservative Coalition Luncheon. Being a grass roots organization we don't have a paid lobbyist, and luncheons are an amazing opportunity to have the ears of many legislators in one place at one time. Although Del Bigtree demands attention with his animated style, it was obvious that even as MaryJo gave her introduction, that we had the attention of both caucuses. We appreciate that.
In the years we have been to the capitol, we don't ever recall having the listening ears of legislators as we did this year. It was refreshing!
There were more than a few who were completely uninterested in meeting and failed to repsond to the people from their own districts who traveled from all over the state. Some of those legislators seemed to believe that our issue is federal and that we needed to be in DC. We still have work to do.
While the federal issues highlight the need to fix the state issues, they are definitely not the same. Childhoold vaccination laws, as they pertain to school and daycare attendance, are a state issue. We need to look at Section 8, the Enumerated Powers, and then the 10th Amendment of the Constitution.
If we are going to make our state a better place for families, it is imperative that the families who are living burdened under the vaccine laws in Mississippi be heard by their Mississippi legislators.
THANK YOU to those who gave us their time and listened to the people!
Warrior ladies right there!!! Such hard workers... thank you for everything you do ❤️
Posted by: Jessica Kelly | January 15, 2018 at 10:00 AM