What a week! PERK team working hard for you.

The PERK team, Jessica , Darrlene, Natalie, and Erin had a wonderful week meeting with legislators and staff about bills we support and oppose. It is important as advocates to show that you work on both sides of the isle, and on both opposition/support of bills. Members were very pleased to see that we supported their bills and it reinforced our relationships with them. Darrlene and Jessica both gave support statements on behalf of Senator Shannon Groves bills: SB 292, 293 and SCA 5. The testimony witnesses in support were excellent!

Thousands of bills go through the legislature every year, it is near impossible for legislators to read and understand the bills they vote on. This is why your communication and advocacy is critical. We can break down these bills for them and educate them on the impact of the policy.

On Tuesday, AB 659 was passed out of the health committee and is now in the Appropriations committee which is fiscally based. We met with every single member on the health committee and had great dialogue about the concerns in AB 659.

On Wednesday we shifted our approach to the Appropriations committee members. The discussions we had regarding the misleading language in the bill were very well received. Almost everyone agreed that the language is not clear and will lead to confusion. We made a strong ask that members ask the author to clarify the language to reflect it is not an expectation, or to remove that section of AB 659, and keep it solely insurance based.

Assembly member Dr. Akilah Weber was the sole Abstain on AB 659 in the health committee. We had the opportunity to meet with her directly on Monday before the hearing and she shared the same exact concerns we have expressed. This speaks volumes as she directly treats HPV patients first hand and the information she shared about why she chose to abstain was reasonable. She is also on the Appropriations committee, we recommend you show your gratitude through a nice letter or post card for her Abstention.

As we get through the first quarter of the legislative session, PERK is very happy with the progress made so far. We must always remember that this is a long term game, and pace ourselves throughout this process. A key take away from our time at the Capitol is that RESPECTABLE, REASONABLE AND KIND commentary is absolutely essential to these issues being considered.

Your advocacy has made a difference and we are thankful to you for taking time to take action on the bills we are working on. This takes ALL of us working in different capacities. We all have a role to play and we encourage you to find yours!

Natalie and Erin from the PERK/ Catholic Families for Freedom team were invited to participate with California Nurses for Freedom and Take A Stand Stanislaus for an incredibly successful lobby day on Thursday April 20th! We are so happy to see all the advocacy taking place on behalf of Nurses and Health Care workers. California Nurses for Freedom and Take a Stand Stanislaus have worked tirelessly this year and last to advocate on behalf of parents, patients and children. PERK, Catholic Families 4 Freedom and California Nurses United and Take A Stand Stanislaus had 13 meetings with Legislators and their staff total. We are thankful for all the work they have done and look forward to supporting their work in the future!

ICAN Attorneys Secure Religious Exemption to Vaccination in Mississippi

Dear PERK Members & Supporters,

We are overjoyed to congratulate Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), on the historic win in federal court, protecting the right to religious exemptions from all vaccines for all Mississippi schoolchildren. This is the beginning of a major shift in future policies regarding mandatory vaccination. Many good things to come.

PERK Team

April 17, 2023

Today, ICAN’s attorneys secured a historic and critical win with a ruling from the bench following an evidentiary hearing, where a federal court has ruled that the First Amendment requires that, by July 15, 2023, the State of Mississippi afford its residents a religious exemption for their children to attend school without one or more state mandated vaccines!

A written entry on the Court’s docket was issued shortly after the hearing providing, in relevant part:

Minute Entry for proceedings before District Judge Halil S. Ozerden: Hearing on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction held on 4/17/2023. Court heard testimony and additional argument. For the reasons stated on the record, and to be more fully detailed in a written order to follow, the Court will grant Plaintiffs’ Motion. From and after July 15, 2023, Defendants Daniel P. Edney, in his official capacity as the State Health Officer … their officers, agents, servants, and employees, and anyone acting in active concert or participation with them will be enjoined from enforcing Mississippi Code § 41-23-37 [Mississippi’s compulsory school vaccination law] unless they provide an option for individuals to request a religious exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Mississippi is one of only six states that does not have a religious exemption for students to attend school. Numerous parents have sincerely held religious beliefs that do not permit them to vaccinate their children, including because of the involvement and development of vaccines using the products of abortions. Those parents were put in an impossible position as they were forced to violate their sincere religious beliefs if they wanted to send their children to school. 

Read the Full press release here.

Read the legal complaint here.

Support ICAN legal team here.

San Diego Celebration April 28

on Friday, April 28 from 6pm-9pm

PERK and the San Diego Police Officers Association announce big news concerning our lawsuit against San Diego. 

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS BY FRIDAY, April 21 AT: https://donorbox.org/events/430614 

Join us in a historic celebration regarding our lawsuit and the mandates in San Diego. We will honor our plaintiffs, our attorneys, the PERK team, and all those who participated, supported, and made this lawsuit possible.  

Families are welcome to attend. Food & Drinks will be provided. Event will feature an auction & donation opportunity.

Event location is in San Diego. Address will be sent upon RSVP. Please reserve your tickets before April 21!

Tickets are FREE, but limited. Families are welcome to attend.

Food & Drinks will be provided.

Event will feature an auction & donation opportunity.

Event location is in San Diego. Address will be sent upon RSVP.

Limited seating.

Please reserve your tickets before April 21 deadline!

**PERK is in need of local donated silent auction items for our upcoming event. Items such as trips, experiences, hotel stays, event/game/concert tickets, autographed memorabilia, gift baskets, donated wine, gift certificates and services.

Please reach out to ncarpenter@perk-group.com  if you can help PERK by donating an item.

PERK opposes and supports the following bills.

OPPOSE THESE BAD BILLS

 AB 659 - OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED

Cancer Prevention Act aka HPV vaccine mandate bill for college students has been amended. But the language still has notices for all students that state it is “expected” for all student to be fully vaccinated for HPV for school attendance. This will be very misleading and open to interpretation by school districts. We must push for author to change the language to recommend rather than expect.

Status of Bill:
Assembly Health Committee Hearing April 17th at 1:30pm

• Phone the CA Assembly Health Committee directly. Do this today and Monday April. 17th. 

  1. Sample script: “Hello, my name is _____. The language of AB 659 needs to changed from EXPECTED to RECOMMENDED, as to not mislead the public and educational institutions of the meaning of the bill. Please oppose unless amended to reflect these changes. Thank you.”

• Tweet Assembly Health Committee members.

• Use our one click action campaign to email and tweet committee members.

---

---

AB 665 - OPPOSE

Minors: consent to mental health services.

Status of Bill:
4/10/23 -In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

Action Step:

• Call your senator regarding your opposition to AB 665. Find your rep here.

  • Sample Script: Hello, I am asking the Senator to vote NO or Abstain on AB 665, there are better solutions to solve the Medical Coverage for mental health without removing the guardrails for abuse of the current law.”

• Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal ASAP.

• Waiting for committee referral, it will most likely be Senate Judiciary Committee. Action campaign will update as committee is assigned.

---

AB 1078: Instructional materials: removing instructional materials and curriculum: diversity

Status:

Asm Education Committee Hearing Date: 04/26/23

Action Steps:

• Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal ASAP.

• Call Assembly Education Committee to vote NO on AB 1078

  • Sample script: “Hello, I am asking the Assembly member to vote NO or Abstain on AB 1078.”

• Use our one click action campaign to email and tweet committee members.

---

---

AB 1090: County officers: sheriffs.

This bill would authorize the board of supervisors to remove a sheriff from office for cause, by a 4/5 vote, after the sheriff is served with a written statement of the alleged grounds for removal and the sheriff is provided a reasonable opportunity to be heard regarding an explanation or defense at a removal proceeding. The bill would authorize the board of supervisors to establish procedures for a removal proceeding. The bill would require that these provisions not be applied in a manner that interferes with the constitutional functions of a sheriff.

This will give unchecked power to the board of supervisors to remove sheriffs if they don't follow unjust policies such as CDPH's mask mandates, lockdowns etc. on citizens.

Status:

Asm. Local Government Committee: 04/13/23 Read second time and amended.

Action Steps:

Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal ASAP.

• Call Assembly Local Government Committee to vote NO or ABSTAIN on AB 1090

  • Sample script: “Hello, I am asking the Assembly member to vote NO or Abstain on AB 1090”

• Use our one click action campaign to email and tweet committee members.