SDPB News has article about Qualm/Tobin race for State Senate. Despite Qualm denials, HB 1235 was absolutely an anti-vaxxer measure by Qualm’s own testimony.

@SoDakCampaigns

South Dakota Public Broadcasting has an article about the District 21 State Senate race, and the competitive nature of the race between Erin Tobin and Lee Qualm as it results to Qualm’s sponsorship of anti-vaxxer legislation:

This past legislative session Qualm introduced a bill to remove immunization requirements for children entering public school. It didn’t pass.

“It’s unfairly labeled as a vaccination bill. It’s more about health freedom and the ability—you know, it’s your body and you should be able to choose what you do with it,” Qualm says.

and..

The nurse practitioner says the Qualm’s bill didn’t serve the medically vulnerable populations of South Dakota well and could have resulted in unnecessary disease.

“It’s so important to reach out to experts in the field,” Tobin says. “And I do this every day at work. Different healthcare systems, different healthcare providers, because we need to have all of the information before we go and make big decisions that effect—directly effect—the health and wellness and disease levels in the people in our communities and in the vulnerable populations.”

Read the entire story here.

When Rep. Qualm claims “it’s unfairly labeled as a vaccination bill,” I have to call shenanigans on his attempts to back-pedal on the purpose of the measure, especially due to his claim in committee where he served as his own “expert” on HB 1235, and was citing utter nonsense about vaccinations:

Qualm said he is worried about consent that parents receive and his assertion of a link between autism and vaccinations, although it’s unclear where that research has come from.

The Secretary of Health refuted that claim with a statement from Autism Speaks.

Read that here.

House Bill 1235 was absolutely an anti-vaxxer measure, and no matter how Rep Qualm tries to run away from his bill, it might be the anchor that drags him down.

45 thoughts on “SDPB News has article about Qualm/Tobin race for State Senate. Despite Qualm denials, HB 1235 was absolutely an anti-vaxxer measure by Qualm’s own testimony.”

  1. “anti-vaccer” is a slur.

    Vaccines, in some rare cases, have worked.

    But there is enough evidence to require the vaccine industry to indemnify itself like you would have to do if you started a business making and selling burritos off a food truck (delicious).

    It might be better to call it an “anti vaccine producer indemnity” movement.

    Or more accurate to call it an “anti heavy metals in the vaccines” or an “anti global ID in the vaccines” or “pro human immune system”.

    Vaccines for a cold virus like covid? Has not worked. Will not work. Will never work as good as empowering a human body with health, strength, and vitality.

      1. Right. Typo/spelling smack. Good job. You win on the spelling, but I assume I win on the issue?

        Are you one of those crazy spelling conspiracy theorists that thinks as long as legislation doesn’t have any typo’s, it’s good-to-go?

        😀

        1. Go ahead and assume you win on the issue. Us earthlings will be over here laughing at you. Don’t you have some construction workers to harass?

  3. When was the last time a sitting party leader was defeated in a primary or general election?

    1. not a fair question as he is not running for re-election but hoping to switch chambers

    2. well, daschle-thune comes to mind but you’re talking legislature of course.

  4. This never makes any sense why people are SO freaked out about folks not wanting to Vaccinate. Here are a couple points I would like to make

    – Why would we need to pass a law and indemnify the Pharmaceutical if there is no issue and they are safe? My guess is because this does occur and more often than you think. The Cap is set at 250k and you have to sue the Federal Govt I believe, so its tax dollars paying not the Pharmaceutical industry, interesting huh
    – If Vaccines work and you have them, YOU should be good right?
    – 95+% of all South Dakotans self vaccinate, the Herd Immunity has been achieved, right?
    – We should not force people to undergo medical procedures against their own will, nor should we punish them for not undergoing said procedure. This is a Liberty issue more than it is a Public Health issue
    – The argument that everyone has to vaccinate to protect those that cannot is a bunk argument as someones rights should not be trampled for anothers
    – Common sense suggests that many of the ingredients in Vaccines should probably not be injected directly into your body. We are warned not to eat too much Fish due to High amount of Mercury and other Heavy metals yet we should inject them into developing humans, strange concept!
    – If you have ever looked at the Vaccination schedule from 1955 to 1991ish you will notice that Adults aged 30+ have not fully vaccinated based on the current schedule. Kids now days are getting 40+ vaccinations before age -. Seems like a lot of foreign crap to pump into a developing human. Why is no one clamouring for the rest of us adults to get lined up and vaccinated with all these other vaccines etc. Some of these Vaccines are just unnecessary such as the Gardasil vaccine as thats completely preventable

    It all boils down to individual choice and 95+% of the population will willing get these so do we really need to trample on the Liberty of others so you can sleep better at night. I guarantee some of you “so called” Christians better wake up to some of these types of things as pretty soon the secular world is going to start forcing things on you or punishing you if you resist. I think that pesky Mark of the Beast comes to mind. You need to stand up for individual rights and stop worrying about everyone else all the time. This “its for the public good” argument has been used many times and I believe Germany did that years ago and made a group of people they didn’t agree with wear some sort of “flare” to single them out.

    1. you’re passing around anecdotal information that has been out of date for more than two decades. please read up on the makeup of current vaccination shots and the science behind it.

        1. the article about the india trials had a dozen alleged outright crimes that aren’t part of the vaccination debate in the u-s. i reject the inclusion of the article in this debate about school vaccinations in the united states, and regard it as an obvious attempt to mislead and inflame. i stand by my charge that the anti-vaxxer movement is fueled by vastly outdated information. a year ago i had a long chat with a local doctor about this very thing so that’s how current i am.

  5. Don’t want to vaccinate your kids? Fine. Home school them. Keep them out of the general population.

    1. Once again, you want to PUNISH someone for making a medical decision. Your kids are vaccinated right, then they should be fine. Injuries from vaccines do occur so some choose not to.

      https://www.fairwarning.org/2018/12/vaccine-court-pays-billions/

      What happens when someone passes a law that forces you to either comply or suffer the consequences? What will you say then because its going to happen. This is bigger than vaccines and if you value your choices you would realize that.

      1. If you’re kids aren’t vaccinated they are a risk to the general public. Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of someone else’s nose.

        1. But your kids are vaccinated, Correct? They work, correct? 95% of people are vaccinated and Herd Immunity has been reached, correct? so with that being said YOU are good, correct?

    2. Actually, would it not be more cost effective (and more effective in general) to quarantine the minority of the population who are immune compromised?

  6. Funny how GOP uses the “my body, my choice” for this issue but not when it comes to abortion or drugs. Which is it?

    1. Drugs I could agree, abortion no. See your forgetting there is another Living being inside so you are killing a baby. You can use all the tired arguments you want to defend it all can be easily refuted but, everyone knows if left alone the baby finish maturing. I also think its amazing the same group of people who are for abortion are the same group of people that want to throw you in jail for any harm that comes to an endangered species nest. They will protect that life, and they should, but, wont protect a human being. Lets also be honest 99.9% of abortion is being used as Birth Control, how f@cking sick is that. We all know what causes pregnancy but, instead of living with the decision you would rather kill a baby. My favorite one from the folks who support abortion when you ask them they almost always say “well I would never have one but, I support people who do”. The reason they never would is because deep down they know its wrong.

    2. So do you want the right to take heroin and then ask me to pay for your rehab? Is that right?

      Abortion is another life, not just the life of the mother; if you don’t believe that, science says you are wrong; but then libs don’t let facts get in the way of their precious “right” to abort.

      All that said, I believe vaccinations are legitimate and do way more help than harm.

      1. Yep. I don’t want to take heroin myself but I think drugs should be decriminalized and given to people for free if they want to try getting off it safely. You’re paying either way, in my view it’s better to pay for rehab than jail.

    3. this is a tiny part of the republican party, and i know plenty of democrat vaccine deniers too by the way.

  7. You folks all need to understand that Mr. Qualm’s anti-vaxxer, anti-public-health stance is forced upon him by his wife who is probably not a witch, but is a faith healer.

    This angers Mr. PP, but it is a documented fact.

  8. Agree, anon 2:46. Seems the term “freedom to choose” is viewed as a liberal concept when it comes to abortion/women’s rights, and rights of transgender minors, but just switch a few words and call it “health freedom” or “bodily integrity”, apply those words to the vaccine debate, and you’re now a conservative! I understand there are often contradictions with certain issues, but this seems like a drastic one. HB 1057 certainly blurred those lines. Poor timing perhaps.

    It is exhausting how many still want to debate the vaccine issue. Say I buy Qualm’s latest narrative (I don’t), and this ISN’T an anti-vaccine bill. Take away the school vaccine section, and this bill was still a disaster. It left the door wide open for implications few have mentioned. Either people don’t realize these implications, or people would rather just drag on and on with the vaxx/anti-vaxx debate. One would expect more from a senior legislator elected to leadership. I dare say, a group of 12th graders could’ve drafted a more sound bill and strategy.

    Qualm has sure shown his tendency to create false narratives. I see he has another letter of endorsement from a doctor. Too bad neither the FB post, nor the letter, discloses credentials indicating it is written by another chiropractor. Mis”Lee”ding Leader Qualm, as usual.

  9. Qualm carried an absurd amount of water for the governor and she is leaving him out to dry.

      1. It seems like one bill should not end the support for all of the other work he has done for the governor. Daugaard is endorsing.

        This entire debate reminds me of 2012 when Michelle Bachman went after Rick Perry for using an executive order to mandate a vaccine.
        https://youtu.be/-astUh8ARHg

        At the time I thought odd discussion in a presidential race. Of course now we are seeing it in legislative races.

        1. One bill? Or the fact that he has now started making laws based on his wife’s religious beliefs, bills that could hurt people if passed. A bill that his voters don’t want. It’s more than a bill, it’s an abuse of power.

          1. Indeed. Mr. Qualm is an anti-vaxxer and that will stick no matter what. Stick like a big needle, in the arm.

            1. I dare you all to look up the national website for health freedom. Health freedom SD Presented this bill via Mya Olson. The National website openly advertises their push for all unlicensed providers to be able to practice their “specialty” without the threat of being prosecuted for “practicing medicine without a license”. That should rattle you all to the core. No wonder the alternative medicine group have written so many endorsements for Qualm.

              1. All of the alternative medicine “Dr.s”, none of them are doctors of medicine. Are they? Did they go to Medical School? Do they prescribe drugs and medicine? Do they give vaccines? do they work in a hospital setting? Chiropractors have no business writing letters to the editor with “Dr.” behind their name without stating what kind of “Dr.” they actually are. Moreover, the letter to the editor with the LMC’s (licensed massage therapists) was comical. Do voters seriously trust these people? That is what truly rattles me to the core.

                1. There is not one MD (medical doctor) I’m this state that has endorsed this bill. Qualm thinks he is better/smarter than MDs, better/smarter then the Universities of health sciences, better/smarter than the large health systems that provide some of the best healthcare in the nation! That is scarey and an absolute abuse of power! Bye bye Qualm.

        2. Is he waiting until Monday to endorse? It is Thursday evening. Better hop to it.

    1. Tara Volesky, may I kindly ask you what you do for a profession? Are you trained or educated in the medical field? Do you have a graduate degree in science? Do you have a post-graduate degree in any type of medicine? Please respond, oh mighty keyboard warrior.

    1. It didn’t go to a vote in the House. It was killed 10-2 in the Health and Human Services Committee before moving forward. I will repeat, 10-2 in the Health and Human Services Committee.

      Im sure the The House Health and Human Services Committee is just made up of members that have no medical background with vaccines and/or the greater good of the population as a whole. Maybe they get their information from Facebook and other random internet posts? Maybe they consult Chiropractors or Licensed Massage therapists when issues arise about deadly viruses and diseases that threaten your well-being? No, they don’t. They consult with medical professionals that are educated and trained to keep our society healthy. Maybe they even are medical professionals, I don’t know.

      The next time your child is ill and you need to take them in to see the doctor, try taking them in to see a chiropractor or “massage therapist” and see how that works. Make sense now???

      I am as far from a professional on this topic as you can be, but to see people siding with chiropractors and massage therapists about vaccines is about as absurd as anything I have seen. Leave it to the trained professionals and stop being keyboard warriors you fools. Good day.

  13. a medical doctor (general practice) took his time a year ago explaining to me the vast amount of research and refinement that constantly goes into the development of childhood vaccines in the u-s. what used to be a larger series of individual shots a few decades ago, have been combined and refined down into a small series of a few shots administered in sequence in the first couple of years of life – – shots that protect against dozens of maladies, also shots that have to be administered in sequence and on schedule for the most effectiveness. they’re nothing like the way they’re portrayed in the anecdotal word of mouth that fuels this issue.

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