JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri's 2021 legislative session began on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and Lake of the Ozarks area state representative Suzie Pollock says her proposed legislation for this session center on a key idea: freedom.
"That is my freedom legislation," Pollock says of five bills she hopes will gain traction this year. They are:Â
HB 33 - Prohibits medical providers from administering any medical or surgical treatment for the purpose of gender reassignment for anyone under the age of 18
HB 34 - Requires death certificates for children under age 4 to show dates of all immunizations, if the body is submitted for cause-of-death autopsy
HB 35 - Prevents public schools from adding vaccines to the state-mandated list
HB 36 - Makes it easier for landowners and police to remove squatters
HB 37 - Removes state vaccine mandates for private/parochial/parish schools and requires DHSS to provide a brochure about religious/conscientious belief exemptions
HJR 1 - Provides for parents' exclusive right to control the upbringing of their children
"I’ve always been super conservative, and I’m always for parents’ rights," Pollock said. "People have strong opinions on how they want to raise their children… and work for a living and don’t expect anything from the government… so the government has no right to come in and control or say what parents do to their children, if they’re doing no harm to their children."
Pollock acknowledged some critics would argue that her HB 33 interferes in that relationship, but she disagrees. "Hormone blockers and gender-altering surgeries do harm to children," she argued. Pollock caught plenty of flak for her position in 2020 (she filed the bill last year too), so now she says she expects a fight, and is determined to win.
Another bill in Pollock's freedom lineup: HB 35, which would prevent public schools from adding any new vaccines to the list of those required already by state statute. In a similar vein, HB 37 would remove state vaccine mandates from private, parochial, or parish schools. It also clarifies the religious or conscientious belief exemption for vaccine requirements and would require the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to publish a brochure on how individuals may obtain that exemption. The bill has been in the house for several years, and it died in committee in 2020. But Pollock says it's getting more attention. "I have gotten so many calls from federal legislators that love it. I have gotten all kinds of support for it," she said. "Covid has opened people’s eyes to the overreach of our public health departments and just government overreach altogether."
How did Pollock get the number "1" for her proposed constitutional amendment protecting parents' rights to raise their children (HJR 1)? "I got up at 3 ‘o clock in the morning," she said. "We (legislators) actually stand or sit in line [when pre-filing opens]. I got there at 3:40 in the morning, and there were already two Republicans in front of me… I’ve never done that for a line for anything else in my life!"
Pollock said her goal was to prevent excuses about her bill being backlogged in the process. "I figured if mine was in the first 50, then I should get them through."
"I’m going to be very persistent and get some good freedom bills passed this year."
