****Texas Alert****

OCT. 29, 2009

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
We received important news yesterday from the office of our health freedom bill author, Rep. Frank Corte Jr. The Texas House Public Health Committee has officially notified the office of Rep. Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House, that the committee supports Rep. Corte's request to conduct an interim study on making complementary and alternative health care more widely available to all Texans.
Rep. Corte's staff has been working hard behind the scenes to help make this happen. But the fact that it happened at all is due in large part to your efforts to convince your own state representatives to call the Speaker's office and lend their support to the study.
However, we still need additional representatives to call Rep. Straus to push us over the finish line. If you have not already done so, please call your state representative and ask them to call Rep. Straus with their support of the study. Your continuing efforts will ensure that our request is successful.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy, CTN
Chair, Texas Health Freedom Coalition


SEPT. 17, 2009

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
We are pleased to offer a short (6 minute) informational video on the proposed health freedom interim study:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRBK09o8G-8

It explains why we need an interim study, and what you can do to help get it approved. Please feel free to share it with all Texans on your e-mail list.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy, CTN
Coalition Chair

JUNE 3, 2009


Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
We were notified late yesterday that SB 1440, passed by both houses of the legislature, has amended language in it that allows a CPS investigator to obtain private medical records on a child without the benefit of a hearing. This intrusion on parental rights gives the state ever greater power over the welfare of children, without the ability of the parent to object.
Please call Governor Perry's office at 1-800-252-9600 and ask him to veto Senate Bill (SB) 1440.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair



JUNE 2, 2009

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,

We are delighted to announce that the 81st Texas legislature has adjourned. This session has been historic for Texas health freedom for a number of reasons:

1. Our health freedom bill, HB 40, though not voted out of committee, survives as an interim study. It will be requested by our bill author, Rep. Frank Corte Jr., later this summer from the Texas Speaker of the House as a means of better educating our elected representatives about natural and alternative health care. The study will go a long way toward ensuring that the bill will easily pass next session.

2. HB 40 attracted strong bipartisan support. Many thanks to our joint authors Reps. Corte, Laubenberg and Anchia, and co-authors Reps. Leibowitz, Rodriguez and Charlie Howard for their public commitment to health freedom of choice in Texas.

3. YOU stepped forward in an unprecedented way to support our activities financially. Many, many thanks to our large number of extraordinarily generous donors! Special thanks to those who gave most generously: Kathy Markham (Nutritional Transitions), Keith Kline (The Institute of Eating Management), Susan and David Foster (Natural Health Now), Cindy Griffin and Lyndal Lanham (Houston Homeopathy Center), Chuck and Veronica LaChapelle (Health Matrix), The International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN), and the Sunshine Health Freedom Foundation. You not only helped us defray our expenses during this tough session, you have allowed us to continue our efforts during this all-important interim between legislative sessions.

4. For the SIXTH time in ten years, you, the people of Texas, have let your voice be heard by decisively defeating the dietitians' monopoly licensing bill. Over the last several years, the Texas Dietetic Association has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at us in an attempt to co-opt nutritional counseling in Texas. You have beaten them, and their "Big Food" sponsors, every time! The spirit of freedom is alive and well in Texas, thanks to you!

We will have some exciting announcements coming up soon, regarding more history-making health freedom events. In the meantime, please enjoy a well-earned pat on the back from your fellow Texans. You've earned it! We love you all.

THANK YOU for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair


MAY 26, 2009

Last Minute "House"keeping...
Your Calls Are Still Needed

We are down to the final days of the 2009 Texas Legislative Session.

As in many recent legislative sessions, the bills we call "not quite dead yet" continue to rear their ugly heads and require your immediate action - and I do mean immediate.
 
Make One Call Now To Stop SB 861 Information Sharing Bill!! 
    
 
This bill needs to be stopped!  It is an attempt to categorize kids as "at risk" and then share their private health and education information with a host of different agencies including Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR) and Child Protective Services (CPS).
 
Undoubtedly, this bill will allow state agencies to cherry pick your children and refer them into psych services.  Our greatest fear is that since CPS is involved, they could be used to lean on families who refuse psych services for their children. 
 
Over the weekend, it was amended and revived and is now headed for the Texas House Local and Consent Calendar.   Bills that go to the local and consent calendar usually sail through with little debate.  While that's a little different this year because of gridlock in the Texas House of Representatives, the possibility of passage is all too real. 
 
Your immediate help is needed.  Call your State Representative and ask him or her to stand up and object to this bill.  
Click here to find your State Representative, put in your address to find your State Representative, then, call and register your opposition.   
 
The game is simple, enough objections and the bill is knocked off the local and consent calendar.  Don't get the objections and the bill is a sure thing.   Get your friends to call too.  If you don't have enough friends, walk down the street and get them to call.  This bill could go to the House Floor tomorrow, so let's get it done! 
 
Call the office or return this email and let us know you made your calls and any feedback you got!  512-428-9840 or 800-572-2905 

 

 

APRIL 29, 2009

(Please feel free to forward this message to ALL Texans on your e-mail list)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
The House Public Health Committee hearing on HB 3528, which ended late last night, went well. Your Coalition witness team, which represented the entire spectrum of the natural health industry, acquitted themselves very professionally in the face of unscrupulous attacks by the witness team of the Texas Dietetic Association (TDA). You may view the proceedings at the following link:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/broadcasts.php?session=81&committeeCode=410

Select the webcast from 4/28/09, beginning at 5:49 PM. You may scroll to 3 hours 40 minutes into the hearing to see our portion, which lasts until 5 hours 16 minutes.

The TDA witnesses, using terms like "misleading" and "fraudulent" to describe the conduct and advice of Texas natural health practitioners, attempted to paint a false picture of our community and its activities. In the process, they revealed to the committee and the audience assembled the lengths to which they will go to enact their economically motivated agenda.

The committee has notified us that they will vote on this bill by next Tuesday, May 5th. We fully expect that the TDA's representatives and lobbyist will continue to press the committee members to vote the bill out of committee.

As such, please continue to call the committee members to voice your opposition to HB 3528, and forward this message to your circle of influence with a request that they do the same. Committee members' capitol office numbers follow:

Lois Kolkhorst 512-463-0600
Elliott Naishtat 512-463-0668
Garnet Coleman 512-463-0524
John Davis 512-463-0734
Veronica Gonzales 512-463-0578
Charles "Chuck" Hopson 512-463-0592
Susan King 512-463-0718
Jodie Laubenberg 512-463-0186
Jim McReynolds 512-463-0490
Vicki Truitt 512-463-0690
John Zerwas 512-463-0657

To paraphrase an old TV show: "Please keep those phone calls comin'." We CAN win, but only with your help.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair


APRIL 28, 2009


(Please feel free to forward this message to ALL the Texans on your e-mail list.)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
The Texas House Public Health Committee has postponed the hearing on HB 3528 until after the House adjourns for the day. We expect that to occur shortly after 5PM.
If you were unable to attend the initial portion of the hearing this morning, please feel free to come by after work and show your support. Here are the particulars:

Time: after 5PM (after the House adjourns for the day)

Location: Capitol Building, hearing room E2.012

How to get there: Enter the capitol on the first floor. Take the elevator in the north wing to level E2. Walk down the hall to room E2.012 (about 150 feet into the E2 wing).

You may fill out a witness card in opposition to the bill, even if you do not wish to testify. Your Coalition witness team greatly appreciates your show of support.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair


APRIL 26, 2009

(Please feel free to forward this message to ALL Texans on your e-mail list ASAP!)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
We have discovered that HB 3528 late this week gained two joint authors and one co-author. They are as follows:

Jessica Farrar (Central Houston) (512) 463-0620
Al Edwards (North Central Houston) (512) 463-0518
Patrick Rose (Johnson City, San Marcos, Lockhart) (512) 463-0647

The first two are Houston area colleagues of bill author Yvonne Davis. We believe these reps signed on as a courtesy to their fellow Houstonian. Patrick Rose is chair of the House Human Services committee; his rationale is unknown.

It is IMPERATIVE that you call ALL these state reps' Austin offices ASAP on Monday (after 8AM) and express your concern with their support of HB 3528. When you call, ask for the health policy analyst. When they answer the phone, tell them "I am a Texan who greatly values my freedom to choose the health care options I wish. HB 3528 will destroy that ability to choose. If you have been told otherwise by the Texas Dietetic Association, you have been misled. (If you are a pracitioner, add the following: "I am also a Texas natural health practitioner. This bill will put me out of business if it is passed.") I respectfully request that Rep. (Blank) write a letter to the House Public Health Committee withdrawing his/her support for this bill."

This bill will be heard on Tuesday at 8AM. Your support of this effort is greatly needed.

Please forward this e-mail to everyone on your e-mail list and ask them do do the same. The future of health freedom in Texas may be at stake.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair


APRIL 25, 2009

(Please feel free to forward this message to ALL Texans on your e-mail list. FOR ORGANIZATION LEADERS: Please forward to your entire membership.)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
At 6PM, the Texas House Public Health Committee announced that HB 3528, the dietitians' exclusionary licensing bill, will be heard on Tuesday, April 28th. The hearing will commence at 8AM in room E2.012 at the state capitol.
If passed, HB 3528 will prohibit anyone but a dietitian or MD from speaking about nutrition in their practice. Health freedom of choice in Texas would be destroyed, it's that simple.
Your Coalition leadership is fielding a strong slate of witnesses to oppose the bill. You may attend the hearing and testify yourself if you wish. Whether you do or not, we need your help to ensure we will be successful. Here's how you can help:

1. Go to the www.texashealthfreedom.com home page, Pages section (Left side), and find your state representative's CAPITOL office phone number (area code 512) under the file "TX House Contact Info." Call his/her office, identify yourself as a constituent, and tell whoever answers the phone "Please ask Representative (Blank) to call his/her colleagues in House Public Health and ask them to vote against HB 3528. This monopoly bill will destroy my right to health care freedom of choice if it's passed. I want it stopped."

2. Next, please go to the page "House Public Health Info." Pick out one or two committee members. Please call their offices. Tell whoever answers the phone "I am a member of the Texas Health Freedom Coalition. I was notified that Rep. (Blank) will be hearing HB 3528 in House Public Health on Tuesday, April 28th. I want to register my opposition to this bill and ask Rep. (Blank) to vote against it."

3. Show up for the hearing; numbers matter. It's possible this will be an all-day affair, so plan accordingly. The hearing convenes at 8AM, but the entire House reconvenes at 9 or 10AM, so the hearing will probably adjourn shortly before that, and reconvene after the House adjourns. We don't know exactly when the bill will be heard. We recognize it will be a long day, but WE NEED YOUR PRESENCE!

Your leaders are confident that, as in the past, we will prevail. We appreciate your help with ensuring that's the case.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair


__._,_.___

APRIL 6, 2009

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
At the end of the day today, we were notified by HB 40 author Rep. Frank Corte Jr.'s office that HB 40 will be heard by the House Public Health Committee AFTER the House adjourns for the day tomorrow. Rep. Corte's staff estimates that the bill will be heard tomorrow afternoon. However, if the House adjourns due to a point of order, the hearing could occur as soon as 11AM. We had no control over this, and apologize to those whom the change has inconvenienced.
If you are still interested in attending the hearing, please meet in front of room E2.012 at 10:30AM tomorrow. By that time, we should have a better idea of when the hearing will actually occur. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE WAIT WITH US!!! We have a comfortable conference room available in a nearby office building (one block from the capitol) where you can wait with us until the hearing actually occurs.
We appreciate all the support you have shown for passage of HB 40. Thanks for your patience as we adjust to these last minute changes that are beyond our control.

Thanks for your support of Texas HEalth Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair

 

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
On Tuesday, April 7th, 1:30 PM, Room E1.016, The Texas Senate Committee On Criminal Justice Will Meet and Hear Senate Bill 1505.
This Senate Bill Must Be Stopped!

Here's Why: Under this bill, a judge could order you into psychiatric treatment as a condition of bail! Even worse, if you didn't comply with psychiatric treatment, you could be held and given treatment involuntarily.

Imagine this: It's 3:00 AM, your kid is charged with a crime and you think you are getting them out on bail. In fact, they could be taken to a psychiatric facility.

This bill is that dangerous.

Your calls are needed immediately. Call the members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and tell them: "Just say NO to SB1505."

Senator John Whitmire, Chair........512-463-0115
Senator Kel Seliger.................512-463-0131
Senator John Carona.................512-463-0116
Senator Rodney Ellis................512-463-0113
Senator Glenn Hegar.................512-463-0118
Senator Juan Hinojosa...............512-463-0120
Senator Dan Patrick.................512-463-0107

Additional Actions:

Get your friends and neighbors to call about this bill.
Plan to show up for this hearing on Tuesday, April 7, 1:30 PM, Committee Room E1.016.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair


 

(March 7, 2009

Please feel free to forward this message to ALL Texans on your e-mail list)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
Effective immediately, please send ALL faxes intended for the TX House Public Health Committee to fax number 512-454-4461.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Gwen Johnson
HB 40 Grassroots Coordinator

March 2, 2009

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
HB 40 continues to wend its way through the legislative process. Our bill author, Rep. Frank Corte Jr., has collected inputs from various stakeholders, and some modifications to the bill language have occurred.
These changes have been thoroughly vetted by our legal committee of Patrick Jackson, TN, JD, Rick Jaffe, JD, and Diane Miller, JD. The revised bill has been posted on www.texashealthfreedom.com as a .pdf file in the Pages section under "HB 40 - Committee Substitute." This is the version of the bill (barring any last minute changes) that will be heard in the House Public Health Committee.
Stakeholders have included the Texas Chiropractic Association (which endorses the bill), the Texas Department of State Health Services (which recommended the double underlined changes), and various other stakeholders.
The fact that the bill has attracted the attention of these stakeholders is a good thing, indicating that they take the bill seriously. It also means that it is imperative we gather the broadest possible support for our bill, meaning that everyone who has an interest should get on board and support it.
We're on our way, but we're not out of the woods yet. If you haven't contacted your legislator yet, please do so now.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair

AND

To: TexasHealthFreedom@yahoogroups.com
From: texascam@earthlink.net
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:13:16 -0600
Subject: [TexasHealthFreedom] TX Health Freedom ALERT - Dietitians' Licensing Bill To Be Filed Soon!

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
We have received confirmation from reliable sources that the Texas Dietetic Association has a draft exclusionary licensing bill in the final approval stages with the Legislative Counsel's office. We expect it to be formally filed very soon.

If it resembles the bills filed during the last five legislative sessions it would, if passed, put EVERY unlicensed natural and alternative health care practitioner who offers nutritional counseling out of business. It would also prohibit natural product retailers and manufacturers from offering most health-related information on the products they sell.

Please stay alert for further updates on the status of this bill.

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair

January 24, 2009

(Please feel free to forward this message to ALL the Texans on your e-mail list)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
The Austin Green Living Expo will be held at the Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St., from February 27th through March 1st. THIS EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED JAN. 9-11, BUT WAS MOVED BY THE SHOW ORGANIZERS.
The THFC has a pre-paid booth for the Expo. The rescheduled dates present us with an opportunity to influence the newly appointed House Public Health Committee regarding the passage of HB 40, and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee regarding the passage of SB 296 (the physicians’ conflict of interest bill).
We are requesting 1 or 2 volunteers per period to man the booth at the following times (current volunteers listed):

Friday 2/27: 2-7PM
Saturday 2/28: 10AM-2:30PM - James Miles, ND
Saturday 2/28: 2:30PM – 7:00PM - Nancy McCarthy
Sunday 3/1: 11AM – 5PM - Nancy McCarthy, Athena Jezik

Admission will be free for each volunteer; passes will be picked up at the will-call both at the entrance. Our mission is simple: pass out information sheets on each bill, and gather as many faxes in support of each bill as we can. The faxes will be sent after the event. Our admin assistant, Sasha Still, will set up and break down the booth.
Please consider volunteering for this event. RSVP to thf.coalition@yahoo.com with the date and time you can volunteer if you can help.

Thanks for your support of Texas Health Freedom,

Peter McCarthy
Coalition Chair

January 23, 2009

(Please feel free to forward this e-mail to ALL the Texans on your e-mail list!)
Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
We cordially invite you to our second biennial Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009. This event will give you an opportunity to interact face-to-face with your state legislators, and have a direct, positive influence on the passage of HB 40, our Texas health freedom bill.

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 18th, 2009, 9AM til 4PM

Location: 1005 Congress Avenue, Conference Room A, Suite B10, Austin, Texas 78701 (One block from the capitol)

Parking: available in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1201 San Jacinto located between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets at 12th and 13th streets (three blocks from our meeting place; see capitol complex map at http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Complex.htm). Parking is free for the first two hours and $.75 for each half hour thereafter (maximum daily charge: $6.00).

Agenda: 9AM-9:45AM – Training and preparation
10AM-12:30PM – Morning appointments
12:30PM-2PM – Lunch (we will provide lunch for you)
2PM-4PM – Afternoon appointments

Our goal is to have at least one constituent from each of the 151 Texas House districts attend. We ask that all Coalition executive committee members plan on attending also.

We will lobby in teams of two people. To the extent practical, we will pair first-time attendees with veteran participants.

We will conduct a short training session for you before the morning’s scheduled appointments. If you have a laptop computer, please bring it with you, fully charged. We will have a brief, simple Power Point presentation available for your use to brief your legislator or their staff member (you may download the FREE Power Point Reader from the Web). Pre-printed information packets will also be provided.

We will lobby in teams of two people. To the extent practical, we will pair first-time attendees with veteran participants.

Prior to sending your RSVP, please log onto www.texashealthfreedom.com and use our new web link “Who Represents Me?” to find your Texas state representative and state senator (NOT members of the US Congress!).

RSVP: please RSVP with your name, and the names of your Texas state senator and representative, to our administrative assistant Sasha at thf.coalition@yahoo.com by February 3, 2009. If you would like to receive the Power Point presentation electronically, please indicate that with your RSVP.

We look forward to your contribution to this important part of our effort to pass HB 40 and ensure health freedom for all Texans. See you on the 18th!

Peter McCarthy
Certified Traditional Naturopath
Chair, TX Health Freedom Coalition

January 20, 2009

 (Please feel free to forward this message to ALL Texans on your e-mail list)

Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,
It's time to start letting your TX state representative know you want her/him to co-author HB 40, our Texas Health Freedom Bill. As a first step, it's important for you to know why passing HB 40 is important to YOU.
Log onto www.texashealthfreedom.com and watch the short 3 1/2 minute video titled "HB 40 for Consumers" in the "Recent Posts" section on the right hand side of the home page.

Next, let your Texas state representative know you want him/her to co-author HB 40. It's easy to do:

1. At the top of the Texas Health Freedom home page, click on the link to www.capitol.state.tx.us and fill out the "Who Represents Me?" section of that page. Scroll down to the first name under "Texas State Representative" (NOT member of Congress!) and copy down their contact info.

2. Return to the www.texashealthfreedom.com home page. Under "Pages" on the left side, click on "TX House Contact Info." Click on the link to the Excel file and find your state rep's e-mail address.

3. Also in the "Pages" section, find "HB 40 e-mail." It contains a form that will allow you to both send your state rep. a link to a short video explaining why supporting HB 40 is important to THEM, AND ask her/him to co-author our bill. The e-mail form is in .doc format so you can paste it into your e-mail as is after you've filled in your rep's name and your contact info.

4. One week later, please call your state rep's office, confirm that he/she received your message, and ask again that they co-author HB 40.

That's all it takes! In 2005 and 2007, we generated a MASSIVE input to the state legislature in support of our efforts. Please help us do the same this time, and PASS HB 40 FOR TEXAS!

Thanks as always for your support,

Peter McCarthy
Certified Traditional Naturopath
Chair, Texas Health Freedom Coalition
www.texashealthfreedom.com

 
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