UPDATE 1/10/2020: Delegate Grammer Agrees to Pull HB66

‼️𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄‼️ 2/3/2020: This bill has been withdrawn.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲!

If you feel so obliged, emailing or calling to thank Delegate Grammer for listening to Marylander’s is a wise choice.

‼️CALL TO ACTION!‼️

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪!

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿, 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘅, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄! 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀! 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲!

Delegate Robin Grammer sponsored HB66, introduced in the early morning hours on Thursday, January 9th, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Text of the bill:

Authorizing a health care provider to provide an immunization to a minor without the consent of certain individuals if the minor consents to the immunization and is at least 14 years old and the health care provider determines that the minor is mature and capable of giving informed consent; authorizing a health care provider to provide an immunization to a minor under a certain provision of the Act whether or not a parent of the minor is reasonably unavailable or objects to the provision of the immunization; etc.

https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/HB66/2020

We need each and every one of you to call and email Delegate Grammer and let him know why you oppose this bill!

Delegate Robin Grammer

(410) 841-3298, (301) 858-3298
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3298 (toll free)
e-mail: robin.grammer@house.state.md.us

https://msa.maryland.gov/…/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa17048.html

If you’re a constituent of his – in District 6 – let him know!

Find your district and representatives here:

https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=177afa87a67746a4ac5496b2d0897fb7

The most effective emails are not form letters, but rather written in your own words. Even a brief “I oppose this bill, thank you” is effective and will be tallied. Talking points to discuss in your email:

· This bill proposes that state government should usurp parental authority and supersede individual parental rights. This is fundamentally unconstitutional and grossly invasive. This draconian overreach directly contradicts the principles of the Republican Party platform, on which Delegate Grammer ran and was elected to office.

· 14-year-old children are not legally allowed to vote, to smoke, to drive, or consent to any other invasive medical procedure. These kids are not able to give fully informed consent, nor do they necessarily know the details of their own medical history. It’s inappropriate to place the burden of medical decision making on minors at this age. If this precedent is set, what other medical decisions might the state take away from parents?

· Over 50% of children in the U.S., including Maryland, have a serious chronic health condition. One in sixty children in Maryland (2%) and 1 in 37 boys (3%) are on the autism spectrum. One in six children in the U.S. has a developmental disability and that number is rising. Healthcare providers administering medical procedures may not recognize these disabilities in high functioning children with special needs. How can these children give consent to invasive medical procedures without parental guidance? (If you have a special needs child, tell your story and explain why this bill would be a disaster for your family.)

· The Supreme Court ruled in 1979: “Most children, even in adolescence, simply are not able to make sound judgements concerning many decisions, including their need for medical care or treatment. Parents can and must make those judgements.”
(https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/442/584.html)

Please spread the word! Let’s flood Delegate Grammer’s office with polite, respectful, forceful emails and phone calls. He needs to hear our voices!

You can also contact members of the Health and Governmental Operations Committee and tell them why you oppose this bill:

https://msa.maryland.gov/…/mdman…/06hse/html/com/05heal.html