Meeting Public Comments

Matt Rollinger

I strongly support Senate File 406 as it addresses crucial issues regarding the powers and duties of health authorities during public health emergencies. Overreach by government bodies in recent years has revealed a troubling pattern of disregarding individual freedoms under the guise of public health, often causing confusion, fear, and unnecessary harm. This bill serves as a muchneeded corrective, ensuring that individuals retain the ultimate authority over decisions concerning their own health, including testing, vaccination, and treatment. It recognizes the importance of individual rights and autonomy, particularly in situations where the potential for coercion or undue pressure is high.The lessons of the past, particularly during the COVID19 pandemic, have shown how easily the balance between public health and personal freedoms can be tipped too far. Excessive mandates and restrictions have led to confusion, division, and even lasting harm. By empowering individuals to make their own health decisions, and only recommending measures without coercion, Senate File 406 acknowledges the need for flexibility while safeguarding the rights of citizens. This approach not only respects personal autonomy but also ensures that decisions made are grounded in evidence and care for the wellbeing of the individual, not based on undue governmental influence.In times of crisis, it is essential that our response systems are wellstructured, transparent, and respectful of the rights of all individuals. Senate File 406 offers a balanced and thoughtful approach, restoring trust in public health efforts while ensuring that government intervention is both measured and necessary. I wholeheartedly urge the passage of this bill.

Sandy Wilson [Citizen Engagement]

Citizen Engagement declares IN FAVOR of SF 406. Please advance the bill.

Tracie Kennedy

I ask you to please support this bill. I write this comment with a heavy heart and an unwavering commitment to protect the rights of every Iowan. My family knows firsthand what happens when personal medical decisions are influenced by coercion rather than true choice.In February 2021, my 36yearold brothera healthy, vibrant man, a devoted husband, and the loving father of a sixyearold daughterdied just hours after receiving the Moderna COVID vaccine. He wasnt physically forced, but he was led to believe he had no choice. He took it because he thought refusing would mean harming the children he worked with. He was not fully informed of the risks, nor was he told that if something went wrong, the system meant to protect him would fail him entirely.My family and I have fought for justice. We paid $10,000 for a Stanford medical expert to prove what we already knewthat the vaccine caused his death. We submitted our case to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP) in 2022, and we have received nothing. No acknowledgment. No response. No accountability.This is why SF406 is so critical. It ensures that no Iowan will ever be placed in this position againwhere they feel pressured to comply with medical interventions out of fear rather than free will. During a declared public health emergency, no governor or public health official should have the power to order or require individuals to test, treat, vaccinate, or quarantine. These decisions belong to the individual, not the government.Every medical product carries risks. No two people react the same way to a drug, vaccine, or treatment. This is why bodily autonomy must always be protected, even in times of crisis. Where there is risk, there must always be choice. SF406 upholds the right to informed consent, ensuring that every Iowan is given the full scope of risks and benefits and retains the right to accept or decline without coercion.History has taught us that medical ethics demand voluntary consentfree from pressure, fear, or mandates. The Nuremberg Code and federal law affirm that no person should ever be forced into medical decisions, even in an emergency. Yet, in recent years, we have seen how quickly these rights can be eroded. SF406 ensures that never happens again.My brother didnt get a choice. He didnt get true informed consent. He didnt get a system that protected him or his family when everything fell apart. But today, you have the power to ensure that no other family suffers the same fate.I urge you to pass SF406 and stand for medical freedom, informed consent, and the fundamental rights of every Iowan. Thank you.

Jenna Anthofer

I am writing to ask you to please support this bill. The shutdown of the country during 2020 was devastating to my small business and the businesses of many of my colleagues and community members. It was also incredibly detrimental to the mental health of adults and children alike in Iowa and countrywide. The citizens of Iowa deserve protection against such sweeping mandated closures! Thank you for your service to Iowa and for supporting this bill.

Jon Otto

I fully support this bill. I strongly urge congress to support.

Timothy Kosmacek

Please support bill SF406 for the freedom we all hold dear. God bless!

Ann Rollinger

I am writing to express my support of SF406. The Covid pandemic brought to attention what can happen when government exercises gross misuse of power. I urge you to pass this bill to curtail emergency powers.

Crystal Egland [- Select -]

I strongly support

Michael Trenkamp

The strongest support for this bill. After what weve been through the last 5 years I dont know how anyone couldnt be for this. And I work in healthcare. Thanks to your leadership this session on bills important to Iowans who have you super majorities.

Tim Stumo

I fully support SF 406, which restores individual rights and limits government overreach during public health emergencies. This bill ensures that medical decisionsvaccinations, exams, and treatmentsare voluntary, protecting Iowans from coercion while allowing health officials to provide guidance.It also prevents unnecessary surveillance and guarantees that quarantine measures are limited to the longest known disease incubation period. Additionally, SF 406 upholds religious exemptions for vaccinations, even in emergencies, and increases transparency by allowing the public to share evidencebased information online.Government power must remain within constitutional limits, especially in times of crisis. SF 406 protects personal freedom while maintaining responsible public health measures. During the COVID19 response, we saw a gross overreach by State and Federal governments, and we must learn from past mistakes. I urge its passage to safeguard the rights of all Iowans.

Coreena Kinney

I support this bill. No person should be able to make medical decisions for all Iowans. No emergency can be severe enough to justify the governor essentially becoming a medical dictator.

M B

Please support this bill. All medical products and procedures have risks and everyone has the right to know ALL the facts and then make an informed decision. Even in times of Emergency, people still have autonomy over what goes into their bodies. I don't ever want to be in a position again to have our family be forced to decide on whether or not we keep our jobs or be pressured into taking medical treatments that we don't ourselves choose. I know our governor didn't abuse this power, but who knows what will happen when others take over the position. Please do what you can to limit the power of the governor to be able to force/pressure/coerce people into medical treatments. Thank you

Erin Billings

I strongly support this bill! Please give Iowans the medical freedom we need to make personal decisions for our families.

Rafaela Cadena [Americas frontline doctors,Freedom Brigade, TN and IA liberty network, ]

I also write on behalf of Americas front line doctors, freedom Brigades, and the Tennessee and Iowa liberty networks in full support of this bill. Nothing shall supersede our rights from God and the Constitution. Thank you for updating this bill to reflect that.

Sam Jarvis

I am strongly opposed.Pulic health actions in times of crisis are balanced in times of crisis and necessary to protect the public. That balance is struck through work with the community and stakeholders on reaching the least restrictive means to prevent transmission of dangerous diseases. While everyone may not agree, public health can demonstrate that these actions are evidencebased. Removing this ability will put others in harms way. Removing this crucial function prevents public health from responding, just like any other response agency. Ask yourself, how prepared do you want your community to be when faced with an unknown disease? Ask your yourself, if you or a loved one were at risk, wouldn't you want to be protected? Work with HHS and public health departments to coordinate your community's response, not prevent them from doing necessary work.

Lori Stiles

I applaud you for bringing forth SF 406, and strongly support it as written.I concur with all comments by Ms. Collier here, and others who are in support of SF 406. Won't repeat it all. (I was threatened repeatedly with losing my job in Health Care in 2021, unless I took 'the shot', then still forced to wear a mask thereafter (until March 2023!!) b/c I stood firm and didn't take it. I won't even call it a 'vaccine' b/c they had to change the definition of what a 'vaccine' was, to fit the thing! NEVER AGAIN. Please vote YES on SF 406. Thank you!

Melanie Wellington

I strongly urge the committee to vote NO on SF406. This bill would put the health of all Iowans at severe risk. I am a physician who specializes in taking care of children with severe or complex infections, I have a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, and I am a hospital epidemiologist. Thus, I am extremely familiar with the way that infections threaten the health of Iowa children and all of the communities of Iowa. I would be happy to provide the committee or any of the Iowa legislators more information if they have questions about this issue and the role of Public Health Departments in keeping us safe. It is unusual that public health emergencies occur but when they do occur it is absolutely vital that Public Health departments be able to act to protect our communities. I think the best example of this is Tuberculosis (TB). The United States is the only country in the entire world whose citizens do not regularly face the risk of contracting Tuberculosis when they interact with their communities. This is because our local Public Health Departments effectively work with people who are infected with TB and can, when necessary, use emergency actions to prevent those people from infecting their entire community. If my neighbor has contagious TB, it is critically important to my health and to the health of my entire community that that person stay at home until they are no longer contagious. If the Public Health Department did not have emergency authorities, then there is nothing to prevent my neighbor from deciding that their desire to go shopping or go out for dinner is more important than my right to be healthy. When this neighbor goes interacts with others while they are contagious, they will expose everyone in our community to TB and many of us would become seriously ill. The only mechanism our communities have to defend themselves and stay safe from these devastating infections is that our local Public Health Departments have emergency authority. We all have the right to live in healthy communities without the daily threat of infectious diseases hanging over us. I would certainly hope that the neighbor in my example would make the right choice and stay at home. Unfortunately, I know that some people dont make those good choices. Public Health Departments are a part of our community, and they act from within our community to protect all of us. If we remove their ability to act when our community needs them the most, then we have removed one of the most important mechanisms we have to keep every Iowan safe.