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Minutes for SB6 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Restricting the authority of the secretary of health and environment and local health officers to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious or contagious diseases; repealing the authority of the secretary to quarantine individuals and impose associated penalties.
Minutes Content for Mon, Feb 13, 2023
Jenna Moyer, Staff Revisor gave an overview of SB6. She took questions from committee members.
Dr. Festus Krebs, III, MBA testified as a proponent of SB6 stated that trust in Kansas public health officials and policies is broken because of the actions of the Secretary of Health and local Kansas health officers during the pandemic. The first step to repair trust in public health is to limit the authority of unelected public health officials to violate patient autonomy and usurp right to person choice. Doctor and scientist should advise and Kansas citizens should decide. This is accomplished by SB6. (Attachment 9)
Greg Smith, in his proponent testimony, said the Johnson County Sheriff's Office support of SB6 is focused on the provision on page 5, lines 32-34 of the bill. The stricken language would take sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and law enforcement officers out of the equation of possibly being entangled in a dangerous situation that could place the public and law enforcement at greater risk. (Attachment 10)
Debbie Detmer said in her proponent testimony of SB6 to please pass SB6 and restore individual, religious and health freedom by returning public health to its original intent, which is to recommend and educate only. (Attachment 11)
Jeffrey J. Earl, DO supports the passage of SB6. He endorses the changes recommended in SB6 to prevent future governmental overreach and return healthcare decisions to the place where they belong o- the physician/patient relationship. Physicians must have the unrestricted freedom to make healthcare recommendations to patients based on the individual needs of their patients, and without government interference. (Attachment 12)
Lauren Shiffman is a proponent of this bill because it is simple and designates our elected officials to issue the orders in a health emergency. Orders and governing should be reserved for our elected officials, closest to the people. We are not changing or weakening Kansas' ability to manage a pandemic with these changes. We are just shifting who will make the decision. (Attachment 13)
Bryant Anderson said in his proponent testimony that as it stands right now, Chapter 65-Article 1 give the Secretary of Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE) and other public health officials the power to prohibit public gatherings, order quarantines, quarantine the unvaccinated, adopt new rules and regulations and even order the sheriff to enforce their orders. Public health officials should never, ever, ever be given the keys to society again. (Attachment 14)
Dr. Gayln Perry, as a proponent of SB6 said power wielded is rarely given up and when medicine becomes an arm of the state very bad things happen. She strongly encouraged support of SB6. (Attachment 15)
Carol Daunis testified for support of SB6 saying each individual has the right to decide with their doctor which medical treatments are recommended for them based upon each individual's existing health condition and risks. (Attachment 16)
Nicole Vannicola stated that the result of the lock-downs was not better health, but worse. It was not less deaths deaths to covid, but more deaths to suicide. It wasn't for the children's benefit, but to their detriment. Theories abound on the reasons why all of this may have happened, and one of the plethora of ideas, is that of weakening our society, our people, as a weak people is a controllable people. There are more strong people now than before the lockdowns. If weakening the people was the plan, it failed miserably, and woke the silent warriors. (Attachment 17)
Dr. Jesse Lopez in his proponent testimony said that Covid lock-downs did not stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus and did not have a significant effect on mortality reduction rates. School isolation, school closures and social distancing were all failed policies that led to increased depression, suicide and anxiety which was the most prevalent among the youth. Policies separating children from older adults and other family members, including grandparents, had no sound scientific basis. Support of SB6 will insure the dreadful, isolationist and ineffective mandates will never again be allowed to be put in place. (Attachment 18)
Melissa Campbell said in her testimony in support of SB6 that unelected officials do not need to have the authority to take peoples to places of quarantine. No local health officer or KDHE Secretary needs to micromanage the day-to-day lives of the citizens. Please clean up the Chapter 65 group of statutes to reflect freedom of choice. The modifications in SB6 are critical. (Attachment 19)
Questions were asked by committee members.
Ashley Goss spoke in opposition of SB6. She said that KDHE is cognizant of the aftermath of Covid-19 and how it has affected the perception of infectious and contagious disease mitigation. Public health ensures that hospitals are practicing good infection control, that children can play, learn, grow and stay healthy and that when one person gets sick with an old or a new disease, it doesn't have to spread everywhere. Without these public health mitigation measures, the impact of infectious disease outbreaks will increase and have both a human and financial impact on individuals, families, the healthcare system, and public health. (Attachment 20)
Dennis Kriesel gave opponent testimony stating that SB6 changes undermine the authority of those county commissioners and how they choose to work with their local health officer. Instead, critical decisions such as isolation are up to the individual who is sick. KALHD believes these changes would make disease control nearly impossible in Kansas. (Attachment 21)
Dr. Dena Hubbard spoke against SB6 saying that the KAAP opposes SB6 and that it's passage would impede its abilities to respond to unforeseeable future public health emergencies. (Attachment 22)
They took questions from committee members.
Written only, Proponent testimony was submitted by:
Senator Mike Steffen (Attachment 23)
Representative Trevor Jacobs (Attachment 24)
Rachel Price (Attachment 25)
Shelby, Private Citizen (Attachment 26)
Shari Hobbs, Private Citizen (Attachment 27)
Beth Regehr, Private Citizen (Attachment 28)
Joyce Whittier, Private Citizen (Attachment 29)
Elizabeth Groff, Private Citizen (Attachment 30)
Connie Newcome, Private Citizen (Attachment 31)
Mei Upsdell, Private Citizen (Attachment 32)
Dorothy J. Daves, Private Citizen (Attachment 33)
DeAnna Marshall, MD (Attachment 34)
April Cromer, Private Citizen (Attachment 35)
Kathryn Andries, Private Citizen (Attachment 36)
Jared Shiffman, Private Citizen (Attachment 37)
Pam Vetter, Private Citizen (Attachment 38)
Brenda Smart, Private Citizen (Attachment 39)
Dallas Guthrie, Private Citizen (Attachment 40)
Tabitha Clark, Private Citizen (Attachment 41)
Michelle L Eagleman, Private Citizen (Attachment 42)
Karen Hershey, Private Citizen (Attachment 43)
William Mize, Atty. (Attachment 44)
Debbie Mize, Private Citizen (Attachment 45)
Adam Dirks, Private Citizen (Attachment 46)
Beverly Hoskins, Private Citizen (Attachment 47)
Carisa McMullen, Private Citizen (Attachment 48)
Cary-Sue Hendrickson, Private Citizen (Attachment 49)
Richard Mullen, Private Citizen (Attachment 50)
Roberta Bretz, Private Citizen (Attachment 51)
Written only, Opponent testimony was submitted by:
Heaven Schuette, Nemaha County Health Department (Attachment 52)
Dan Partridge, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health (Attachment53)
Jonna Upson, Hamilton County Health Department (schools) (Attachment 54)
Jonna Upson, Hamilton County Health Department (gatherings) (Attachment 55)
Devin Quinn, Master's Student of Public Health Practice-Lifelong Kansan (Attachment 56)
Rebecca Johnson, SEK Multi-County Health Department (schools) (Attachment 57)
Rebecca Johnson, SEK Multi-County Health Department (gatherings) (Attachment 58)
Tonya Medina, Wallace County Health Department (Attachment 59)
Jay Hall, Kansas Association of Counties (Attachment 60)
Shelby Ostrom, Kansas Public Health Association (Attachment 61)
Cheryl Hoberecht, Pawnee County Health Department (Attachment 62)
Tanya Dorf, Brunner, Oral Health Kansas (Attachment 63)
Vicki Collie-Akers, Faculty - University of Kansas Medical Center (Attachment 64)
Board of Directors - Kansas State Nurses Association (Attachment 65)
Kansas Academy of Family Physicians (Attachment 66)
D. Charles Hunt, M.P.H., Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (Attachment 67)
Leslie Campbell, Pottawatomie County Health Department (Attachment 68)
Tara Mays, Kansas Hospital Association (Attachment 69)
Carl Reed, Private Citizen (Attachment 70)
Elizabeth Groenweghe, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City Kansas Public Health Department (Attachment 71)
Rachelle Colombo, Kansas Medical Society (Attachment 72)
Written only, Neutral testimony submitted by:
Sonja Bachus, Community Care Network of Kansas (Attachment 73)
Questions were asked by committee members.
Chairperson Gossage closed the hearing on SB6.
Chairperson Gossage adjourned the meeting at 9:25 a.m. The next scheduled meeting is February 14, 2023.
