IHCM

UPDATE: March 31, 2023

We are in the home stretch of Missouri’s legislative session. We have accomplished a lot since January, but with a little six weeks to go, there is still work to be done.

Here is a quick look at where we are so far.

HCS HB 1165 – Hicks
Uniform Commercial Code Update (Digital Currency)

IHC’s POSITION: OPPOSE
SPONSOR: Rep. Justin Hicks
STATUS: Hearing Scheduled Legislative Oversight – Mon. April 3 2:15 pm

‼️ ACTION ALERT ‼️
HCS HB 1165 –CBDC/Digital Currency Control Bill

Please call and email these House members BEFORE MONDAY. Ask them to vote NO on HCS HB 1165 in the Legislative Oversight committee.

HCS HB 1165l sponsored by Rep. Justin Hicks, which amends Universal Commercial Code laws in Missouri and paves the way for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), has a hearing in Rules/Legislative Oversight committee Monday, April 3rd at 2:15 pm.

This bill has to be stopped!

HCS HB 1165, written by a third party, would fundamentally change the financial definitions in Missouri’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) statutes, the comprehensive set of laws that governs ALL commercial transactions in the United States. This bill sets up a framework for contract payments using digital currency — but ONLY that which the government authorizes. It redefines “money”, “person”, and over a dozen key financial terms and authorizes biometrics and UNKOWN emerging technologies for transactions.

A centralized, federal digital currency means the government could have complete control over ALL transactions — think vaccine passports.

Though this bill is not explicitly promoting a Central Bank Digital Currency, it is saying that ONLY digital currency the UCC laws will legally recognize as “electronic payment” must be “issued by the government”.

HCS HB 1165 lays the groundwork for CBDC. It’s like building a highway, even though you might not have the cars to run on it.

Please call and email these House members BEFORE MONDAY. Ask them to vote NO on HCS HB 1165 in the Legislative Oversight committee.

Rep. Jeff Knight 573-751-1490
Jeff.knight@house.mo.gov

Rep. Brad Hudson 573-751-3851
Brad.Hudson@house.mo.gov

Rep. LaKeySha Bosley 573-751-6800
Lakeysha.Bosley@house.mo.gov

Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway 573-751-7735
Cyndi.Buchheitcourtway@house.mo.gov

Rep. Jamie Burger 573-751-5471
Jamie.Burger@house.mo.gov

Rep. Deb Lavender 573-751-4392
Deb.Lavender@house.mo.gov

Rep. Mike McGirl 573-751-2398
Mike.McGirl@house.mo.gov

Rep. Bill Owen 573-751-2948
Bill.Owen@house.mo.gov

Rep. Adam Schnelting 573-751-5365
Adam.Schnelting@house.mo.gov

Rep. Sarah Unsicker 573-751-2883
Sarah.Unsicker@house.mo.gov

SS SCS SB 41 – Thompson-Rehder
Pharmacists to Administer Vaccines

IHC’s POSITION: OPPOSE
STATUS: Passed the Senate. Currently in the House with a Hearing Scheduled for Mon. April 3rd 12:00 pm
SPONSOR: Sen. Holly Thompson-Rehder

‼️ ACTION ALERT ‼️

(Missouri Senate Substitute for Senate Committe Substitute for Senate Bill 41 (SS SCS SB 41), sponsored by Senator Holly Thompson-Rehder, expands the list of vaccines pharmacists (and their interns, and techs by default due to regulation) are authorized to give — to adults and children as young as seven (7) — without permission from a physician.

Here is a link to the current language for this bill, the Senate substitute: https://senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/perf/SB41.pdf

The pharmaceutical industry wants bills like this to fight “vaccine hesitancy”. They eventually want pharmacists – as well as dentists – to be able to administer all the childhood vaccinations. Currently pharmacy techs and interns can administer the flu, pneumonia, and shingles vaccines by rule. This bill, in other words, would allow not just pharmacists, but those individuals as well, who could be as young as 18 with only basic medical training or experience, to administer vaccines to children.

This bill would also codify pharmacists’ authorization to vaccinate according CDC directives in the case of a health emergency.

This bill passed the Senate and is currently in the House, awaiting a hearing in the Health and Mental Health committee.

Please contact these Missouri House committee members TODAY — for sure BEFORE MONDAY — and tell them to vote NO on this bill Monday, April 3rd.

Rep. Michael Stevens, Chair
Phone: 573-751-1347
E-Mail: Mike.Stephens@house.mo.gov

Rep. Lisa Thompson, Vice Chair
Phone: 573-751-1119
E-Mail: Lisa.Thomas@house.mo.gov

Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum
Phone: 573-751-4183
E-Mail: LaDonna.Appelbaum@house.mo.gov

Rep. Phil Amato
Phone: 573-751-2504
E-Mail: Phil.Amato@house.mo.gov

Rep. Doug Clemens
Phone: 573-751-1832
E-Mail: Doug.Clemens@house.mo.gov

Rep. Bennie Cook
Phone: 573-751-2264
E-Mail: Bennie.Cook@house.mo.gov

Rep. Michael Davis
Phone: 573-751-2175
E-Mail: Michael.Davis@house.mo.gov

Rep. Jo Doll
Phone: 573-751-1285
E-Mail: Jo.Doll@house.mo.gov

Rep. Dave Griffith
Phone: 573-751-2412
E-Mail: Dave.Griffith@house.mo.gov

Rep. Ann Kelley
Phone: 573-751-2165
E-Mail: Ann.Kelley@house.mo.gov

Rep. Patty Lewis
Phone: 573-751-2437
E-Mail: Patty.Lewis@house.mo.gov

Rep. Tara Peters
Phone: 573-751-1446
E-Mail: Tara.Peters@house.mo.gov

Rep. Adam Schwadron
Phone: 573-751-2949
E-Mail: Adam.Schwadron@house.mo.gov

Rep. Dale Wright, Committee Chairman
Phone: 573-751-3455
E-Mail: Dale.Wright@house.mo.gov

HJR 34 – Initiative Petition Reform

IHC’s POSITION: SUPPORT with amendment to House Districts
STATUS: On the Senate Informal Calendar
SPONSOR: Rep. Henderson
ACTION: Ask Senators to Support only with House Districts

This bill has been debated and laid over.

We are asking senators to only approve an amendment to this bill that supports House districts, not Congressional districts.

This bill would change the ratification process for constitutional amendments in such a way that would give all Missourians an equal say in how our Constitution in changes, not just the population–dense urban counties.

HB 336 – Boggs
Employer Liability for Vaccine Injuries

IHC’s POSITION: SUPPORT
STATUS: Voted Do Pass in Rules Committee
SPONSOR: Rep. Mitch Boggs
ALERT: Contact Reps and Urge Them to Vote YES on the House Floor

This simple bill packs a punch. It is actually affirming what the courts have upheld in common law that if someone harms someone else, they are liable for damages.

With adverse events from Covid-19 vaccinations causing injuries and deaths even in young people, this bill would do the most to protect the rights of those coerced into Covid vaccinations for any reason — most commonly, to maintain employment.

ACTION: We urge you to please contact your Missouri House member and tell them to vote yes on HB 336 Employer Liability, when it comes to the floor.

HCS HB 1169 – Jones
Labeling of Gene Therapy Products

IHC’s POSITION: SUPPORT
STATUS: Committee Hearing completed
SPONSOR: Rep. Holly Jones
ALERT: Coming Soon

This bill will require that a product available to consumers which could change an individual’s genetics, whether it be a vaccine, a pharmaceutical, or any product that contains mRNA-altering technology which can be transmitted to people (such as a food), must be labeled as a gene therapy product. People have the right to know if something could affect their genetic makeup. It would also require that information be made available related to the transmissibility of anything that is a gene therapy product.

HB 1169 requires disclosure if a gene therapy product that is either purchased or taken by someone and can be transmitted to someone else.

ALERT: The language is being amended. We will post an alert as soon as the wording is approved.

Thank you for supporting health freedom by responding to these alerts and getting involved. Please check back for more alerts and update on bills we are following.

HB 1165 Would Change Everything We Know About Money, Privacy, and Health Freedom

UPDATED: March 31, 2023

Missouri HCS HB 1165, sponsored by Rep. Justin Hicks, adds a new article to and amends the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) in ways that could be harmful to personal liberty and privacy rights.

This bill was voted out of the General Laws committee and will be heard in Rules/Legislative Oversight Monday, April 3rd at 2:15 pm. We appreciate the courageous reps who voted “No” in General Laws: Rep. Brad Hudson, Rep. Ben Baker, Rep. Ron Copeland, and Rep. Aaron Crossley.

HCS HB 1165, written by a third party, would fundamentally change the financial definitions in Missouri’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) statutes, the comprehensive set of laws that governs ALL commercial transactions in the United States. This bill sets up a framework for contract payments using digital currency — but ONLY that which the government authorizes. It redefines “money”, “person”, and over a dozen key financial terms and authorizes biometrics and UNKOWN, emerging technologies.

This new definition of digital currency in the UCC would streamline the process of the adoption of CBDCs in all states.

A centralized, federal digital currency means the government could have complete control over ALL transactions — think vaccine passports.

Though this bill is not explicitly promoting a Central Bank Digital Currency, it is saying that the ONLY digital currency the UCC laws will legally recognize as “electronic payment” must be “issued by the government”.

HCS HB 1165 lays the groundwork for CBDC. It’s like building a highway, even though you might not have the cars to run on it.

In response to concern from the public and legislators about this bill, the sponsor presented a committee substitute and claimed to have taken out all references to the two words, “electronic money”. However, the substitute simply massaged the definitions of “money” and “controllable electronic record” so that nothing was actually changed with regard to which digital currencies will be accepted or not accepted after Article 12 is enacted.

Proponents claim that HCS HB 1165 update brings the UCC into the modern, digital world and if we don’t pass it Missouri will be left behind. This is to induce an element of urgency when we have actually been using digital currency for years. It’s just that private digital currencies are a threat to central banks because they can’t control them, just like they can’t control – or capture – gold, silver, and cash. So the purpose of this bill is to gain control. In fact, control is mentioned 303 times in HCS HB 1165.

The central banks want to encapsulate all of our financial transactions. They don’t want us to be able to make transactions outside of their system.

Creating an infrastructure for CBDCs through the UCC, then claiming that it has nothing to do with a centralized digital currency, is a well played tactic. The idea is to make these changes toward centralization in stages — to standardize systems, then create &/or commandeer the NGOs that provide the expertise or service. That way very few people can influence entire systems.

Here are a few examples:

-Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)…ERIC was started with George Soros grant money. ERIC conducted a mass data gathering operation and the irony is Missouri taxpayers paid them to do it under the guise of convenience and expertise.

-Municipal building codes are standardized through the International Code Council. Many municipalities frequently update codes not knowing the poison baked into the updates.

-Our STATE drivers license is now outsourced to an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) through a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP). Do you have any idea what the NGO does with your high resolution DL photograph that’s formatted for facial recognition?

HB 1165 is a Trojan Horse. We urge legislators to understand why it lays the groundwork for the kind of top-down control no one wants for themselves or their children.

HCS HB 1165 will also…

– Create status, standing and jurisdiction for “choice of law,” in the District of Columbia.

– Create new language that will require comprehensive knowledge of coding, law, and international contract law that is neither plain, nor equal among the laymen.

– Create significant gaps in the current understanding of tangible collateral currently held by debtors.

– Create an infrastructure for Central Bank Digital Currency without regulatory framework in place.

Where Did These UCC Changes Come From?

The Uniform Law Commission, a Chicago-based non-profit, is responsible for writing and updating the UCC code. The new amendments were written the summer of 2022 and rolled out to all states over the months that followed. Legislators were even told to “not read the bills”, that it was just a routine update.

Bills amending the UCC code have been filed in over 20 states.

Fortunately, legislators are waking up to what these UCC code changes actually do. South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem vetoed their UCC bill, HB 1193 which was almost identical to Missouri’s 1165. It died two weeks later when the S.D. legislature failed to override her veto. Governor Noem said in the days following her veto,

“It is being sold as a UCC guidelines update, but it essentially says that the only authorized digital currency would be the federal government’s.” — S.D. Governor Kristi Noem, March 9, 2023

We currently have no idea which type of CBDC the Fed intends to release AND we currently have no regulatory framework around transactional data, retail CBDC or anything preventing programmable dollars or smart contracts.

What should Missouri legislators do?

We should not create a path forward on digital currency until we have:

1. Regulatory framework in place, and
2. A clear idea of what type of CBDC we’re looking to adopt as a country.

Louisiana has still never adopted Article 2 of the UCC. Governor Noem said about the history of amendments to this code, “The UCC’s first iteration took twenty years to be adopted by each state. There is no reason South Dakota must adopt the changes made by HB 1193 under this purported deadline”.

This bill is the biggest threat to health freedom we face in Missouri.

What can you do?

Please call and email these House members BEFORE MONDAY. Ask them to vote NO on HCS HB 1165 in the Legislative Oversight committee.

Rep. Jeff Knight 573-751-1490
Jeff.knight@house.mo.gov

Rep. Brad Hudson 573-751-3851
Brad.Hudson@house.mo.gov

Rep. LaKeySha Bosley 573-751-6800
Lakeysha.Bosley@house.mo.gov

Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway 573-751-7735
Cyndi.Buchheitcourtway@house.mo.gov

Rep. Jamie Burger 573-751-5471
Jamie.Burger@house.mo.gov

Rep. Deb Lavender 573-751-4392
Deb.Lavender@house.mo.gov

Rep. Mike McGirl 573-751-2398
Mike.McGirl@house.mo.gov

Rep. Bill Owen 573-751-2948
Bill.Owen@house.mo.gov

Rep. Adam Schnelting 573-751-5365
Adam.Schnelting@house.mo.gov

Rep. Sarah Unsicker 573-751-2883
Sarah.Unsicker@house.mo.gov

Please do this TODAY — and share this post. Thank you for your commitment to protecting our privacy, our health freedom, for ourselves and our families here in Missouri.

— The IHC Legislative Team

Join our Email List –

March 9, 2023

Missouri’s legislative session has been in full swing since the first week of January. Since that time, dozens of bills that threaten health freedom have moved quickly through the legislative process.

Good bills, however, are also making their way through committee and onto the chamber floors. Here, at the beginning of Spring Break, we are happy to report that we have seen some significant wins for our side! Our teams testified in committee for both of these bills below. Though we have been disappointed to see some dangerous bills moving ahead, we are also seeing Representatives and Senators doing the right thing and voting bills out of committee where they can be debated on the House and Senate floors.

https://www.ihcm.info/ihc-action-alerts/

UPDATE:
Tues. Feb. 28, 2023

SJR 28 passed out of committee Monday afternoon! Thank you to everyone who reached out to Senators to make your voice heard!

Next step: We need to get SJR 28 to the Senate floor ASAP. New action alert coming soon.

Mon. Feb 27, 2023

URGENT!! IHC Action Alert

SJR 28 Carter — CMR

The Senate Local Government and Elections committee is scheduled to meet TODAY, February 27 at 2:00 pm. They will be considering whether to pass on two measures to the rest of the Senate, HJR 28 (Carter) and HJR 43 (Henderson).

Please contact the Senators in the committee (see action alert at the bottom of the email). Do this immediately. The executive session begins at 2:00.

We are all painfully aware that it’s too easy for special interests to change our Constitution.

One of the most troubling things is the fact that, as it is now, the large urban areas can generate enough votes to carry progressive ballot issues. That’s because it takes only a simple majority vote to adopt any amendment. 50% plus 1.

Our conservative strongholds in rural areas don’t get much voice where constitutional amendments are concerned. Just look at this map of the vote on Amendment 3 (added 38 pages and corrupting monopolistic protections for some sellers, etc.), last fall:

There’s a remedy for this problem. Concurrent Majority Ratification (CMR) is based on the same principle as the Electoral College and is a way to ensure that the ENTIRE state has a say. Here’s how it works…

CMR uses one vote, but it counts the vote two ways, and making a change to the Constitution would require a majority vote both ways:

1. It tallies the statewide popular vote, like we do now. A statewide simple majority vote would be required to ratify a proposed change to the Constitution.
    
2. That same vote of the people would also be tallied in each state House district. A majority of those 163 House districts would have to, each on its own, have had a majority yes vote for ratification. (Note that 111 of those House districts are held by Republicans.)

So, to change the Constitution, CMR would require BOTH conditions be met.

The idea is to ensure that ALL Missouri citizens have a real voice in amending the Constitution.

Download this brochure for more details: www.mofirst.org/issues/ratification/CMR-Booklet.pdf

LEGISLATION ON THE TABLE THIS MONDAY

The good news is that Republicans in both the Missouri House and Senate are eager to do something – they just need some common sense guidance from the rest of us.

SJR 28 is the very best solution. It requires the concurrent majority described above. It uses House districts for the second prong and it applies whether amendments are proposed by the legislature, petition, OR a constitutional convention. We need to tell the committee to pass it as is.

HCS HJR43, as it came from the House, uses a totally different approach that doesn’t give as much voice to rural Missouri. It simply raises the vote requirement from a simple majority to 60%.

There are three MAJOR problems with that approach:

1. The voters in every state that has tried that have turned it down in recent years. The odds of ratifying it are very slim, so we would be left with the simple majority process we have now when faced with the likely abortion vote in 2024.
    
2. A 60% requirement won’t give much voice to rural Missouri, especially as urban areas grow.
    
3. A 60% requirement will allow the progressive urban areas to kill conservative ballot measures with just a 40% no vote.

POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE FOR HJR 43 IS STILL PROBLEMATIC

Senator Andrew Koenig has drafted a potential substitute for HJR 43 than makes some improvements, but still has three fatal flaws.

1. His substitute wisely uses concurrent majority ratification, but it uses Congressional Districts instead of state House districts. That means the rural areas still will have MUCH less voice.
    
2. What’s worse, Senator Koenig’s approach applies only to amendments proposed by petitions, NOT those proposed by the legislature or a whole new constitution proposed by a constitutional convention. That’s right, under his proposal, it would still require only a simple majority vote to change the entire constitution!
    
3. That’s not even the worst problem, though, because voters will flat reject an idea that holds the legislature aloof from the people. The optics during the campaign against HJR 43 will be terrible for the Republican brand.

SJR 28 is the very best solution. It requires the concurrent majority described above. It uses House districts for the second prong and it applies whether amendments are proposed by the legislature, petition, OR a constitutional convention. We need to tell the committee to pass it as is.

What Can You Do?

Before NOON, call and email each of the Republican members of the Local Government and Elections committee, AND pro tem Caleb Rowden and floor leader Cindy O’Laughlin. Tell them that citizens back home want them to advance SJR 28 as is and also advance HJR 43 after changing its language to mirror SJR 28.

Tell them you want them to put rural Missouri on equal footing by using state House districts, NOT congressional districts, and that you want the concurrent majority ratification process to apply to ALL THREE ways the state Constitution can be amended, whether by a legislative proposal, petition or a constitutional convention.

Call now and leave a message on their voicemail. Send emails now to give them time to see the messages.

The Elections Committee:

Senator Elain Gannon (chairman)– 573-751-4008 – elaine.gannon@senate.mo.gov

Senator Sandy Crawford – 573-751-8793 – sandy.crawford@senate.mo.gov

Senator Jill Carter – 573-751-2173 – jill.carter@senate.mo.gov

Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman – 573-751-1492 – maryelizabeth.coleman@senate.mo.gov

Senator Andrew Koenig – 573-751-5568 – andrew.koenig@senate.mo.gov

Leadership:

Pro tem Caleb Rowden – 573-751-3931 – caleb.rowden@senate.mo.gov

Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin – 573-751-7985 — cindy.olaughlin@senate.mo.gov

Feb 14, 2023

Missouri Senate bill 117 (or SB 117), sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (District 34) is waiting to be debated on the floor of the Missouri Senate.

This bill severely blocks the public’s access to the judicial system by protecting those who are guilty of negligence, especially those who partner with government.

Watch this video overview of SB 117:
https://rumble.com/v29e4dw-missouri-senate-bill-117.html

This bill would do three things that severely limit your natural rights

1. Reduce the statute of limitations for personal injury actions and actions against an insurer for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Currently actions for personal injury must be brought within five years from the time the injury occurred. This bill reduces the statute of limitations for personal injury (injury to the person’s body or their rights) from five years to two. This reduction favors the defendant in a suit by making it harder for a plaintiff to attend to their injury, find a lawyer and get organized to sue quickly.
   
2. Give private contractors the same immunity as public entities. This act provides that a private contractors, when acting within the scope of a government contract, shall have the same sovereign or governmental torte immunity as a public entity. This extends the state’s sovereign immunity to private entities. The state cannot be sued for negligence unless it consents. Damages are limited to actual damages, no punitive damages and there is a cap that’s adjusted annually.
   
3. Expands the reach of public/private partnerships. Private companies, unlike governments, are in business to make a profit. They will cut corners and save costs if they have sovereign immunity. Without liability, negligence and harm to the public will increase. The financial burden will fall on the individual harmed and their family. It will also adversely affect competition and those private companies who aren’t
   in public/private partnerships will be incentivized to partner with government.
   
   Another related issue is transparency. Government is subject to FOIA and Sunshine laws. Private businesses are not. In the federal government where most government functions are run by private contractors, the workings of government and the finances are now hidden because private contractors don’t answer to the public.
   
   This bill is currently on the informal Senate calendar, but could be moved to the formal calendar at any time. Please help us stop SB 117.
   
   What YOU Can Do…
   
   Call your Missouri Senator (you can find yours here: https://senate.mo.gov/legisLookup/default). Tell them to vote NO on SB 117 if it comes to the Senate floor.
   
   Call Senator Tony Luetkemeyer and tell him you strongly oppose his bill, SB 117.
   
   Senator Tony Luetkemeyer: 573-751-2183
   
   
   
   

SB 204 – Senator Mike Moon (R) – REPEALS CERTIFICATE OF NEED LAW

Senate Bill 204, sponsored by Senator Mike Moon (R), will be heard in committee Wednesday, February 8th at 10:00 am.

This critical bill would repeal the Missouri Certificate of Need statute, open up competition, give health care employees and providers more freedom, and provide the public with more choices.

CON stifles competition contributing to the lack of choice and horrible healthcare ordered by CDC, NIAID. The decisions made by these corrupt entities have led to many unnecessary deaths caused by ventilators, Remdesivir, and the refusal of hospitals to deviate from the standard of care dictated by government agencies.

Do you have a story about how Missouri’s Certificate of Need law has negatively affected you?

• Are you a physician wanting to expand your practice but unable to due to CON laws?
• Are you a community leader wanting more healthcare choices for your community?
• Do you work in a hospital or clinic that has been unable to purchase urgently-needed equipment due to the long wait for approval from the Certificate of Need committee?

Contact us at IHCM@pm.me.

Senator Mike Moon spent over 25 years in the healthcare industry working for a major hospital in SW Missouri. He understands the need to pass SB 204 to encourage competition and make healthcare equipment available to patients and their providers.

If you are able to to testify IN FAVOR OF this bill please contact us TODAY at IHCM@pm.me. Witness testimony is vital to getting this bill passed out of committee and to the Senate floor for debate.

To read Senator Moon’s bill: https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=44403

by Katherine Maria Pinner

“What does God want?”  Over the course of my life thus far, I have learned both wisely by asking this question and foolishly by not asking this question that it is the most important question one can ask.

The Ultimatum

In late July 2021, my back was against the proverbial wall.  My employer, personally and directly, issued a “mandate” and an “ultimatum” specifically to me, demanding absolute unquestioned compliance.  At that time, I had already filed five separate requests for exemption.  The events leading up to that moment were difficult.  Now the stakes were the highest:  violate my religion and compromise my health per their mandate / ultimatum, or uphold my religion, strongly / sincerely held religious belief and health.

I was getting down on my hands and knees regularly during this time to seek God’s guidance, but the ultimatum drove me to tears, the likes of which I have never experienced.  This decision of whether to comply with the employer’s ultimatum or whether to uphold my religion, would permanently and irrevocably impact, not just my physical life now and in the future, not just my financial livelihood now and in the future, but my everlasting, immortal life.

Down on my hands and knees with tears falling from my eyes, I prayed for God’s help and mercy.  I asked God for counsel and guidance.

“Please, God, help me.”  I don’t know how long I was down there.  Time didn’t seem to matter.  The world around me didn’t seem to matter.  It was just God and me in quiet consultation.  “God, what do you want me to do?”  I waited.  I prayed.  Eventually, the answer came.  It came, not in a burning bush, but in a warm gentle whisper from deep down in my core that permeated my entire being.  Everything in my body, mind, and spirit aligned at that moment.  I knew what God wanted.  I knew what was right, and, therefore, I knew what I needed to do.  “Thank you, God.  Thank you.”

My Story

A little bit about my story.  I am Croatian.  My father came to this country as a young Croatian man when he was twenty-four years old.  Having escaped communism and the tyranny that invaded his homeland after World War II (what was called “Yugoslavia” at that time), he came to this country seeking a better life for himself and his future family.  He did this without any money, without speaking the language, and with a warrant out for his death.  The communists punished you for your religion, and he was the target of religious persecution.  His cousin, a Catholic priest, was forced out of his homeland and into Italy because the religious were being murdered at the directive of a communist dictator.

Bad as that situation was and as documented in my father’s published biographies “Midnight Train” and “Liberté,” this was not the first time Croatians confronted tyranny and religious persecution.  For centuries, the Ottoman Empire ravaged our country of Croatia, as well as our Croatian people.  The soldiers, holding a sword up to the throat of their intended victim, would issue an ultimatum: “convert, or die.”  If the defenseless Croatian did not forsake their religion and strongly / sincerely held religious belief, the soldier would sever their head from their body.  Our Croatian ancestors witnessed this murderous punishment regularly, and yet, with even more vigor and conviction, defended their faith amidst invaders whose sole purpose was mass conversion or mass genocide, all on Croatian soil.

Amidst this constant turmoil, my ancestors on both my mother’s and father’s sides asked the question frequently over many centuries: “What does God want?”  They did not just ask the question on their hands and knees with tears in their eyes, they were ready to defend their religion and strongly / sincerely held religious beliefs to the grave.  My father, knowing what our ancestors endured and having confronted this persecution firsthand, crossed an ocean under threat of death seeking religious freedom and a better life.

In summary, “No” was my response to the employer.  “No, I will not forsake my religion and strongly / sincerely held religious belief and health even as you issue a mandate and ultimatum.”  “The mandate / ultimatum I am obligated to follow comes from GOD.”

The Long and Rocky Road

Thus began the long and rocky road of pursuing justice, first with a Commission (either the State Commission or the EEOC, where all such cases are required by law to begin) which, for example, could not even seem to get my gender and religion correct, much less the charges and proper wording for the claim and whose decisions, I was personally informed, are made by a single “Director” who does not hold a JD; next, with the process of seeking out every Constitutional, First Amendment, special interest, state, employment, specialty, and celebrity attorney in the country, which, having listened to every excuse in the book (mostly around money and reputation and fear of being disbarred), ended in disappointment and rejection; then, with the arduous task of filing and pursuing a lawsuit Pro Se (self-represented) without any interest, education, or experience in the law whatsoever, pursing the equivalent of a law degree on my own over the course of many exhaustive months under threat of having to pay the other party’s legal fees if I should happen to lose and while having to figure out how I was going to pay my own bills and cover my own expenses; and then, working on the matter for the past eighteen months as I, a private unrepresented citizen, work to navigate a complex legal system against an entire international association comprised of thousands of members that has at its disposal legal and HR resources, two professional licensed attorneys on retainer, and one of the largest most reputable firms of twelve partners in the state working against my case as I move a case forward to uphold my rights under the Constitution of the United States of America and Title VII.

The number of hours I alone have personally expended regarding the question over one’s certain, unalienable, SACRED right to the inside of one’s own body (respiratory system, immune system, and conscience) is astounding.  I never anticipated I would have to do this in the United States of America, and yet, here we are.  This was, after all, the very reason my father left his homeland to immigrate to the United States in the first place and here I am, his daughter, once again standing to uphold my right to my religion and strongly / sincerely held religious beliefs.

Because of the employer’s actions, I have had to forgo my professional career and have had to sacrifice large portions of my livelihood.  I have sacrificed a great deal of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness over the past eighteen months and counting, and there is still no court date or hearing scheduled. 

That said, I can think of nothing more important.  What could be more important?  What do I have if I do not have my religion and health?  If I lose those, I have nothing.  Nothing else matters, and, therefore, it is my God-given obligation to persist, just as it was my family’s God-given obligation to persist over the course of many centuries, as they stood up to persecution and even death to uphold our religion and strongly / sincerely held religious beliefs.

We Are Not Alone

Sometimes I feel alone on this long, rocky, uncertain journey, but I remind myself regularly that being alone is only an illusion.  Deuteronomy 31:6 says: “Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you.”

God is with us, and I am so grateful to connect with people with different stories.  Because of this, I am never truly alone.  We are the silent majority, and that majority is starting to wake up.  We are getting into the courtroom, participating in the school board, speaking in front of legislators, and moving into areas of influence.  IHC has worked on several bills that will advance pending litigation and legislation.  These are victories, and there is hope.

The Way Forward

According to the court schedule and the manner of lawyers in today’s judicial climate, this case could take an additional 12 to 24 months after a schedule is set.  It is hard to imagine, having already spent eighteen months in this pursuit, but the possibility of three and a half years to four years to address a simple Constitutional question in the United States of America is the reality of the system. 

In the meantime, the daily sacrifice is real, and the outcome of the case is uncertain.  I continue to ask God for direction and for the courage to take right action.  Rosa Parks once said: “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”  How do we know if what we are doing is right?  “What does God want?”  It’s a simple question, but the answer in my case and so many others like mine, involves sacrifice, sacrifice like what my ancestors and my father had to endure, sacrifice like changing careers or making less money, sacrifice like what many members of groups like IHC recognize and endure firsthand.  Sacrifice is not easy, but then again when has anyone stood up to a bully or done what is right when it is against the mob or gone out in pursuit of justice with the reality of death or starvation confronting them, and called it easy?

It takes courage.  It takes stamina.  It takes moxy.  It takes risk.  And more than any of these, it takes strong focus on the one true thing that truly matters in this world and in the next: “What does God want?”

About the Contributor Katherine Maria Pinner is an author and innovation consultant.  She is the daughter of Croatian parents, Mirko and Sylvia Coric.  She is a resident of Saint Louis, Missouri where she was born, and holds numerous professional certifications in her field.  Her greatest passions are for speaking, writing, education, and the environment.  For more information on the biographies “Midnight Train” and “Liberté,” or to sign up for updates on this lawsuit, go to www.kmpinner.com/books

Global Integration of Personal Health Data
Comes to Missouri

“Privacy means people know what they’re signing up for, in plain language, and repeatedly. I believe people are smart. Some people want to share more than other people do. Ask them.”
— Steve Jobs

On June 7, 2021 Missouri joined the other 49 states in passing the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. SB 63 was one of Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s first priorities that year.

As the governor said in this 2021 press release,

“Establishing a statewide prescription drug monitoring program has been a top priority for my administration, and I want to thank Senator Holly Rehder and Representative Travis Smith for working to get this landmark legislation across the finish line,” Governor Parson said. “SB 63 will help provide necessary information to health care professionals and empower them to make decisions that better serve their patients and assist in fighting the opioid epidemic in Missouri.”

And an epidemic it might be, but an even bigger problem has been the heavy-handed solution — both the signing away of our data privacy with PDMP and disciplinary actions, fines, and jail sentences for doctors who dare to prescribe pain medications for the chronically ill. It brings new meaning to never letting a crisis go to waste. Even those who do not prescribe pharmaceuticals are facing threats for suggesting that supplements can be beneficial, as Dr. Eric Nepute found out earlier this when he was slapped with 500 million dollars in fines for prescribing Vitamin D during the early weeks of the Covid outbreak.

The Data Collection Epidemic

Though there might be a crisis of drug use in Missouri, it’s debatable whether giving up our privacy to the PDMP drug monitoring systems will prove to be worth the sacrifice.

In many ways, it seems that we have traded the promise of security for our freedom in inviting the PDMP system into our state and the “integration of health” that comes with it. It wasn’t long after PDMP passed that the Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services announced their replacement for Dr. Randall Williams, Dr. Donald Kauerauf, to lead Missouri as the department chair. With a long history in programs designed to monitor individuals including children for the sake of public health, the grassroots strongly opposed the nomination, after which Governor Parson withdrew his appointment.

SB 7 to the Rescue

However, the state bureaucracies’ push toward data control and consolidation of health data continues, thanks to a new bill that would put the management of the state’s data, including private health data, in the hands of a new state official. Sen. Caleb Rowden’s SB 7 would create a new position, a Chief Data Officer appointed by the Commissioner of Administration.

Duties of the Chief Data Officer:

• Oversee each state agency’s management of electronic data
• Classify its data into levels of sensitivity
• Develop, adopt and update written policy for breaches of electronic data
• Develop, adopt and update policy for disposal of electronic data
• Adopt standards and procedures
• State agencies shall communicate and cooperate with CDO

Consolidation of data may seem like a good idea, considering the data breaches that have happened with state’s online databases as recently as 2021, after PDMP was adopted. As the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported in October of that year, hackers accessed the private, financial data of teachers, counselors, and administrators across Missouri. Based on state pay records, over 100,000 social security numbers were vulnerable.

As with every crisis, however, the quick solution usually means less freedom and more control — in this case, expanding the bureaucracy in Missouri to manage all of the data in one place and it isn’t clear who would have that job at any given moment. If the Chief Data Officer is unavailable, the Commissioner of Administration will be responsible — or anyone he designates. At best, this would be an unelected bureaucrat. While centralization might make sense for a private business, it is not what we expect from government, especially with public-private partnerships becoming more and more of a problem.

Integrated Health Networks

This month, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced their new position that sounds very much like what SB 7 proposes — a Chief Medical Officer. If the new CMO Dr. Heidi B. Miller’s plans are implemented, our state will soon have an integrated system where an infinite number of providers, hospital, and stakeholders from within our state and beyond will have access to your data. In a press release earlier this month, the department announced that Dr. Miller would “continue to build and implement the vision of an integrated public health and health care system“. “I have devoted my career to improving population health and caring for patients in Missouri,” said Miller.

Missouri is well on the way to this goal. That state already has agreements with the health software company Netsmart, which collaborated recently with the global data and healthcare IT solution company Bamboo Health to manage its mental health support crisis network, Missouri Behavioral Health Connect. Missouri’s mental health data will be part of a nationwide network. As Bamboo Health says of this integrated network,

“By working together to connect healthcare providers, emergency departments and crisis response professionals across a national network, OpenBeds and Netsmart will deliver an advanced system to help states, counties and providers respond to 988 and crisis line demands. Streamlining mobile crisis service coordination, treatment facility bed availability, electronic transfers and referrals to behavioral health services, the solution will create a full-picture view of an individual’s journey, including health history and treatment and services, making it easier for providers to get patients engaged with the right level of care they need quickly.”

— Bamboo Health, April 2022

What could possibly go wrong?

Once this vision of an integrated public healthcare system is in place, your data will be everywhere, vulnerable to attack far beyond Missouri and perhaps the U.S. Worse yet, the information the state is sharing with companies like Bamboo Health could be used against you if you, for instance, disagree with a doctor’s diagnosis or plan of care. If you are flagged in a national system as being uncooperative, all providers you visit — all hospitals you go to for care — will see it. What used to be a private relationship between a doctor and a patient is fast becoming readily available to an alarming number of people.

SB 7 is the next piece of the puzzle needed in the consolidation of data in order to optimize public health in Missouri, perhaps with PDMP as the data bank. This bill has been referred to Emerging Issues, although no hearing has been scheduled. We will be watching this bill and sending action alerts should it begin moving in the Senate.

To receive IHC action alerts in your inbox about this important bill and others, or to keep in touch with updates on health freedom through our healthcare worker and IHC Legislation teams, sign up for email alerts. We are making progress, educating and empowering Missourians to advocate for themselves and their families.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Wednesday morning, January 11th, the Missouri House of Representatives passed the hotly-contested House Resolution 11 (HR 11) which handed unprecedented power to the Missouri Speaker of the House. Though Republican representatives pushed back in the days leading up the vote, in the end they ceded significant power to the Speaker, authority never intended for one person in our government.

IHCM and other Missouri grassroots groups issued action alerts urging Missourians to call their legislators and tell them to oppose these rules which basically give the Speaker of the House the power to decide the fate of all bills in Missouri.

As a result of HR 11, the Speaker is now authorized to do the following:

– Choose when and to which committee a bill is assigned
– Choose which rules committee would hear that bill once it passes (the bill also authorizes an additional committee)
– Choose the chair of those committees
– Chooses the committee chairman or members
– Decide when bills are referred to rules committee and to which committee they are referred
– When a bill can move from rules to the House calendar.
– Sole power to remove both a chairman and a committee member

Additionally the new rules would limited the number of bills reps can file to 20 without the Speaker’s approval. So basically, the Speaker now controls the flow of all legislation in Missouri.

Though the original language was actually worse — such as the provision limiting the number of minutes a Rep was allowed for floor debate from 15 to 10 (returned to 15 for the committee substitute) as well as no limit on the number of days a bill could sit waiting to be referred by the Speaker — the concessions leadership made took away even more of their power to speak for their constituents.

Only one Republican representative, Chris Sander District 33, voted “no”, the vote he pledged to make. Several House Democrats such as Peter Merideth from District 80 also voted “no” and filed strong, common-sense amendments which were all voted down. Two other Republican reps, Herman Morse District 151, and Cheri Toalson-Reisch Distrct 44, voted “present”. It takes a lot of courage to go against House leadership in any way and we are thankful for representatives who do.

(Photos courtesy of Jodigrace.com)

Unfortunately, the overwhelming “yes” votes mean that Missouri’s Speaker of the House is now second only to the governor in his ability to control the laws passed in Missouri.

Listen to Wednesday’s House floor debate on HR 11 here. Scroll to Wed. Jan 11. HR 11 Starts around 10:23:00.

What can you do?

IHCM is determined to continue supporting bills that affirm our health freedom and educating reps on which ones accomplish that — even if that means we stop more bad bills than pass good ones. It’s better to want legislation you don’t have than to have laws you don’t want.

Get involved with IHCM and learn which candidates will not give away your right to representation so easily. Stay updated by signing up for our email list below.

Our legislative team, Informed Health Choice, travels to the capitol weekly to talk to legislators about bills that affect health freedom. If you have questions, please join our email list, check back here frequently for updates, and connect with us via social media (see links below).

IHCM: Courage is Contagious!