Steiner drops Oregon vaccine mandate bill. Disappointing day for science.

On the whole, I've been happy with how the Democratic leadership in the Oregon legislature have been going about the people's business. 

But not today. 

Killing the much-needed bill that would eliminate non-medical reasons (philosophical and religious) for not vaccinating children was a stick in the eye both to the health of Oregonians, and to those, like me, who care about using science as a guide to social policy-making.

I just sent an email to Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward, after learning from a Statesman Journal story that she has dropped Senate Bill 442. 
Download Senator drops Oregon vaccine mandate bill

That's a big loss for Oregon, and a big win for science-deniers. We can now expect global warming deniers, evolution deniers, and others to emulate the tactics successfully used by the vaccine effectiveness deniers.

Here's what I said: 

Wow. I just learned that you’ve given up on the vaccine bill. Very disappointing for those of us, like my wife and myself, who believe sound science should guide legislative policy-making, not science-deniers.

You have just given global warming and evolution deniers a big boost, along with the many crazies who refuse to acknowledge scientific knowledge in other areas.

 

I guess you felt that the bill wouldn’t pass, so it wasn’t worth standing up for. Well, you’ve just made it more difficult for science to be taken seriously by the Oregon legislature in the future. 

 

It looks like all it takes to get Democrats in Oregon to surrender on a much-needed scientifically sound bill is for 150 science-deniers to assemble on the capitol steps, and generate a bunch of emails. Along with spouting lies about discredited scientific research.

 

Believe me, there are more of us in Oregon, I’m confident — people who want governmental policies to be based on facts rather than fantasies. Killing this bill has insulted and disrespected us.

 

Sorry to be so blunt. But that’s how I feel, as a proud liberal, Democrat, and supporter of science.

 

     — Brian

 

This is Steiner-Hayward's email address, if you want to share your own thoughts about what she did:

[email protected]

Comments

[Walker]

I think it's unfair to target her for the failure of the caucus to grow a spine. If she doesn't have the votes, she doesn't have the votes.

Besides, the passage of the "clean fuels" bill should put to rest any notion that the Oregon Legislature uses science in its deliberations.

Pumping millions in subsidies to Big Agribiz to use GMOs while destroying topsoil and polluting, while raising food prices but, simultaneously, failing to take action against coal and natural gas exports, is not following the evidence.