Elaine Morgan was the only NO vote in the Senate
The Rhode Island General Assembly approved
legislation on Tuesday, introduced by Senator Linda Ujifusa and
Representative Susan Donovan, to protect coverage for routine
childhood and adult vaccines under Rhode Island law.
Charlestown's Sen. Elaine Morgan.
Whatever it is, she's against it
This bill (S2379A, H7625A),
which now goes to the governor, gives Rhode Island a clear statutory framework
to ensure vaccines remain accessible, affordable, and grounded in public health
science. It requires state-regulated health insurers in Rhode Island to cover
vaccines recommended by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)
without cost-sharing barriers.
“We don’t have to speculate about the risks of not
protecting access to vaccinations,” said Senator Ujifusa (Democrat, District
11, Portsmouth, Bristol). “We can already see the consequences, with measles
outbreaks emerging across the country as anti-vaccine messages have gained
traction. Rhode Island is acting now to make sure cost and uncertainty never
stand in the way of basic public health.”
“Vaccination has been one of the great success stories of
public health, protecting not only the vaccinated but also entire communities,”
said Representative Donovan (Democrat, District 69, Bristol, Portsmouth). “This
bill ensures that here in Rhode Island, coverage for vaccines is protected and
that our vaccine guidelines continue to be based on sound medical science.”
The bill comes in response to the Trump Administration’s war
on vaccine science. Last year, the U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy
Jr replaced all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices (ACIP), the independent panel that
advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on
vaccine recommendations. The committee was subsequently reconstituted with new
appointees, including individuals who have previously been skeptical of the
efficacy of vaccines and the federal pandemic response.
The legislation ensures Rhode Island retains the authority
to act promptly and responsibly to protect public health. It follows the lead
of other states, including Massachusetts, and ensures that any vaccine
recommended by the Rhode Island Department of Health is covered without
cost-sharing for every Rhode Islander, whether they have private insurance,
Medicaid, or state employee coverage.
The bill passed in the House, but 14 Representatives, Democrats, Republicans, and the one Independent, voted against it.
Over in the Senate, the bill passed with only one vote against.
EDITOR'S NOTE: That was Sen. Elaine Morgan who "represents" the northern half of Charlestown. She's a corrupt MAGA-nut who has achieved virtually nothing for her constituents. She faces a strong challenger, Samantha "Sam" Wilcox, Democrat, who currently serves as Richmond Town Council president. To stop Morgan from further embarrassing us, I urge you to support Sam Wilcox for RI Senate District 34. I do. - Will Collette
Here’s the video of the discussion on the House floor:
The discussion on the floor is presented here, edited for
clarity, where clarity was possible:
Representative Donovan: H7625 sub A, by myself, mandates that insurers provide health insurance coverage without cost-share requirements for vaccinations recommended by the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) and mandates coverage for the medical assistance program and managed care organizations. This bill was widely supported, and I move for passage.
Representative Charlene Lima: This bill is
probably one of the most dangerous, unneeded, and costly progressive ideas that
I’ve seen in a very long time. Right now national groups decide vaccines.
One of them is the American Academy of Pediatrics, the AAP.
That’s a professional organization of pediatricians in the United States. They
represent 67,000 pediatricians, pediatric medical specialists, and pediatric
surgical specialists globally. All their research is done with peer-reviewed
studies. These are global professionals.
The second group that decides which vaccines are recommended
is the ACIP, a federal advisory committee within the United States
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They decide which vaccines are
needed in childhood and adolescence. They got 19 voting members. They’re
independent, medical, and scientific public health experts appointed by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services. They have six ex officio members
from other federal agencies and 30 non-voting liaison representatives from
national health.
We have to decide which vaccines our children and the public
should take. Two national, global, peer-reviewed scientific experts. What does
this bill do? This bill says them or the director of the Department of Health.
One person’s going to decide this? The director of the Department of Health?
Seriously? Where’s their expertise? Let’s think about this now. The last two
directors of the Department of Health had to resign amid a cloud of scandal,
but we’re going to let that one person, rather than scientists with peer-review
expertise, decide which vaccines our children should get? We’re going to take
away that choice from science, from experts, and we’re going to give it to one
person? This is blowing my mind. One person. And what’s going to happen?
Who’s going to pay for this [when] that one person says,
“Okay, you need this special vaccine.” One person says it. Rhode Island health
insurers have to cover it. Okay, healthcare is really great. I mean, this is
what happens with these progressive ideas when you don’t look at the
consequences of what you’re doing. Right now, your doctor can be writing
prescriptions for you. This has happened to me and members of my family. The
health insurers don’t want to pay. They’re trying to get out of paying. You’ve
got to prove over and over again that you need this prescription. Now we’re
going to add that this one person is going to say you need this vaccine. No
science, no peer-reviewed studies, no global or nationalist people making this
decision. So now this one person says you need vaccine ABC. What are the
consequences of that? Public health and safety. Think about that. Public health
and safety. So if you don’t get this vaccine that we’re going to force Rhode
Island health insurers - our health insurance is going to go up to get this
vaccine.
If you don’t get it, guess what? You’re going to get fired.
Does that sound ridiculous? Don’t look at me like that. It happened. We fired
people for not getting a vaccine. And if you don’t wear a mask without this
vaccine when you’re walking alone in the field or driving alone in a car,
you’re in trouble. This is insane. To give this much power to one person
because we don’t like the trend of the national movement. Well, elections have
consequences, but to give this to one person [the power] to increase the cost
of healthcare on our constituency is insane. There’s no criteria in this. So
whoever the director of health is just going to say, “I don’t like that
vaccine,” I mean, “I like that vaccine. I want them to have to get it.” One
person’s going to decide that?
Healthcare is going to explode. This is bad, bad. Whatever
happened to my body, my choice? Whatever happened to science? We just pick and
choose when we use science, when we use experts. This is crazy. You have to
vote this down.
Representative Donovan: This bill came to us
from the Department of Health, yes. But the President of the Rhode
Island Association of Pediatricians wants this bill passed. They want
scheduled vaccines that they, as pediatricians, recommend. They also read the
peer-reviewed articles. They want to be sure that our children in Rhode Island
get the vaccines they need to keep us all safe. This does not cost. It has no
cost or a minimal cost, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health, and
everyone we’ve asked. I don’t really understand why we would not want to pass
this bill. I strongly urge us to pass this bill.
Representative David Morales: I rise in support
of this legislation. It’s centered around expanding access to healthcare. As
noted, if there are vaccines that are being recommended for the purposes of
keeping our neighbors safe and healthy, especially our kiddos, there is going
to be a requirement that Medicaid has to cover those vaccines alongside private
insurance. In other words, we’re not putting our neighbors into a position
where they now have to take on the burden of cost-sharing. As we have seen,
healthcare has become more expensive over the years, but that’s also why we
have the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner to ensure this legislation
does not lead to unintended consequences, such as our premiums spiking, as we
have seen in previous years. I urge our colleagues to support this legislation
because it’s been disturbing to see trends across the nation toward more
relaxed policies on vaccine requirements.
Look no further than Texas, where you’ve had a literal
breakout of measles amongst kids, and that’s because they’re neglecting public
health. When we have measures like this, it’s about ensuring there’s a
responsibility to protect one another within our communities, especially given
how dense a state we are. But in addition to that, there are consumer
protections, so none of our neighbors, regardless of whether you depend on
Medicaid or private insurance, has to find themselves in a position where they cannot
afford those vaccines. I urge our colleagues to vote yes.
Representative Megan Cotter: Members of the
Health and Human Services Committee are often there very long nights throughout
the session. I want to thank the sponsor for this bill, and I’d like to call my
colleagues’ attention to the letters. We did not hear any opposition to this
bill, and if it were going to increase consumer costs, Blue Cross would not
have submitted a letter of support. This does not increase costs. Blue Cross
included a letter stating that this will save us money in the long run.
Representative McGaw: I rise in strong support
of this legislation. As noted earlier, we have seen concerning trends in
vaccination across the country. Accepting the recommendations from the American
Academy of Pediatrics is fantastic, but we also know we need guidelines for
adult vaccinations. This bill is about another opportunity to provide input on
which vaccines are appropriate for coverage here in Rhode Island, as mentioned
earlier, due to concerning national trends. We want to ensure that we’re
providing all the opportunities, and I have every confidence that our Director
of the Department of Health, in coordination with his team, will do their due
diligence in reviewing all available information to protect the public health
of Rhode Islanders.
Representative Fogarty: I’m going to try to
remain calm when I speak. I am a former pharmaceutical rep who sold vaccines. I
know about vaccine safety. I’ve been here in this state when some of the
foremost experts on vaccines have come to congratulate the Department of Health
on our vaccination rate and the low disease rate in Rhode Island.
The ACIP said they resisted RFK Jr., and the 17 appointees
were let go. So when you bring up the ACIP, which I used to respect highly,
these are not the experts anymore.
The DOH wants the vaccine schedule to remain covered, as it
always has. The ACIP does not. The DOH has not changed its vaccine
recommendations and has broken away from the CDC’s vaccination recommendations
because the CDC changed its own. They continued to vaccinate against the 18
routine diseases for all children on the same schedule that was in place before
this administration overhauled the federal guidelines on children’s
vaccinations. The CDC wanted to remove hepatitis A, hepatitis C, and meningitis
from the list. May I remind you that when my son was probably two or three, we
had a big meningitis outbreak here in Rhode Island. Everybody was scrambling to
get their children the meningitis vaccine to protect them. I was scrambling,
and luckily, because I was a pharmaceutical rep, I got one of the doctors to
vaccinate my son and not wait in a huge line.
I cut the line because we all want to protect our children.
Do you want to see meningitis come back? Do you want to see children lose their
legs and limbs or die? Because that’s what happened here in Rhode Island with
meningitis. I get very sensitive when you talk about vaccines because they are
the best thing that has happened to the world since the world was created. They
have saved millions of lives. Don’t ever try to tell me that our Department of
Health is not trying to protect our children. Follow what’s happening in the
federal guidelines, follow what’s happened, see that this administration has
made a joke of the CDC, the intelligent people, and follow this as you try to
point out Representative Lima, who has left their recommendations in the dust.
The Department of Health does not consider this a problem. This is what they’ve
been doing, and this is what they’ve been assigned to do.
Representative Arthur Corvese: I’m going to be
very brief. I wasn’t going to speak on this. I have a great deal of respect for
my colleague, Charlene. On this one, I have to take a stand against that. I
agree with her that during COVID, during a 100-year-never-experienced-before
pandemic, many poor decisions were made. One of the poor decisions the
Department of Health made was to revoke licenses. Having said that, one of the
most important areas in medicine is pediatric vaccines, and Chair Fogarty is
correct regarding our immunization rate. We have to keep that. I’m looking at
this bill as something necessary for the immediate future, though we may not
need it in the longer term, depending on what happens. But if the Department of
Health feels that keeping our immunization rates high is necessary to maintain
the status quo of the pediatric vaccine schedule, then this is necessary.
That’s it. I urge everyone to support this.
Representative Lima: If you look on page one, as
opposed to the two professional global organizations that have been doing this,
we’re giving it to one person, the director of the Department of Health. By the
way, we fund their salary and all that stuff. Often control them. Not in the
team. We heard someone say the Director of Health and their team. It doesn’t
say in the bill their team. Does anybody see “team” in that line? No. As far as
cost, come on. Look at page five. Every individual group medical service
contract or every individual group, hospital, medical expense insurance policy
plan or group policy delivered, issued, or renewed in the state of Rhode Island
from January 1st, 2027 shall provide coverage. We’re mandating that these Rhode
Island companies provide coverage.
It’s not going to cost anything? It’s not going to be passed
on to the consumer? Who’s going to pay it? Little payment fairies are going to
come up and pay it? Of course, it’s going to raise the cost of health
insurance. Our constituents aren’t paying enough? Healthcare’s a disgrace. This
is a dangerous, expensive piece of legislation that will hurt our constituents.
It’s ridiculous. Meningitis and the other thing: Who says that’s not going to
be covered? You don’t like where the federal policy is going, so you come up
with these cocky ideas and let one person decide. That’s going to be great for
the State of Rhode Island. We’re taking away your choice. We’re giving it to
one person. Two people had to resign under a cloud, and there’s more coming out
on one. Half of it hasn’t even come out yet under a dark cloud, and we’re going
to give it to that one person we control so you can get your way and not go
along with federal and national policies and all the experts.
Great, great. Why don’t we just shut the lights off and
destroy the state, because that’s what we’re doing.
Representative Teresa Tanzi: I’m glad I got to
follow the last speaker because if I have to put one person making the decision
versus another one person, if I have to choose between RFK and our Department
of Health, if I have to choose between the guy who picked up a bear carcass and
we all know the rest, the guy with the toilet seat history or the guy who’s a
practicing doctor in the state of Rhode Island. I’m choosing the DOH doctor and
his judgment.
Representative McGaw: I want to clarify because
I comment onbout the “team,” so I want to point this body to the beginning of
the end of page one, the beginning of page two, where it talks about the
Department of Health appointing an advisory committee to be convened and the
advisory committee membership will include but not be limited to a primary care
provider, an epidemiologist, a pharmacist, major insurers, and at the
discretion of the director, representatives of nursing home industry and the
home healthcare industry. So there will, in fact, be a team reviewing any
guidelines the Director of Health deems in need of further evaluation. That’s
what I meant by the team.
Representative Robert Quattrocchi: Thank you,
speaker. It was mentioned that the current members of the ACIP are not to be
trusted. Going down the list:
- Martin Kulldorff,
PhD, chair, epidemiologist, biostatistician, Harvard Medical School
professor.
- Joseph
Hibbeln, MD, psychiatrist, neuroscientist
- Dr. Retsef
Levi, PhD, MIT professor, management, and healthcare analytics.
- Dr. Robert
Malone is an MD, physician, scientist, biochemist, and the
inventor of RNA technology.
- Dr. H.
Cody Meissner, MD, professor of pediatrics at Geisel School of
Medicine at Dartmouth,
- Dr. Joseph
Pagano, MD, emergency medicine physician,
- Dr. Vicky
Pebsworth, PHDRN, public health nurse, board member of the National
Vaccine Information Center,
- Dr. Michael
Ross, MD, obstetrician, gynecologist, and former clinical professor.
I could keep going. I mean, there’s another seven here.
That’s not enough knowledge right there? Science is not something that debate
should be shut down on. It should always be evolving. I mean, science told us
that it was okay for barbers to cut our veins and bleed us out, so science is
always evolving.
Speaker Christopher Blazejewski: There are 54 in
favor. 14 opposed the act prevails.
Here’s the video of the discussion on the Senate floor:
Senate President Valarie Lawson: S2379 sub A by
Senator Ujifusa, an act related to Health and Safety. Department of Health,
Senator Ujafusa.
Senator Ujifusa: Vaccines are the single
greatest public health achievement in human history. Before vaccines, one in
five American children did not make it to their fifth birthday. Diphtheria
killed over 13,000 Americans in a single year. Measles killed nearly 7,600.
Whooping cough killed up to 9,000 children annually, and polio paralyzed 15,000
every year, mostly children. Infectious diseases accounted for nearly
two-thirds of all childhood deaths. Vaccines changed that, driving infectious
disease from 62% of childhood deaths to just 2% by the end of the 20th century.
That achievement is now under deliberate assault. In June 2025, RFK Jr. fired
every single member of the CDC’s Committee on Immunization Practices, and all
17 he fired were independent scientists and physicians. He replaced them with
people who had no relevant medical expertise. The consequences are already
here. Measles, eliminated in the United States in 2000, has infected over 4,200
Americans across 47 states and killed four people, including two unvaccinated
children, and is pushing us to the brink of losing our elimination status. In
2022, polio reappeared in an unvaccinated community in New York.
This bill, S2379, follows the lead of other states,
including Massachusetts, and ensures that any vaccine recommended by the Rhode
Island Department of Health is covered without cost-sharing for every Rhode
Islander, whether they have private insurance, Medicaid, or state employee
coverage. It shields Rhode Island physicians from hostile out-of-state
litigation when they follow established medical guidance and vaccination. It is
part of our Senate priority healthcare package, and I move passage.
Senator Jessica de la Cruz: I was going to vote
yes on this bill, still am, but I really don’t think RFK or the administration
is a big threat to vaccines. They’re important. They’re necessary. They have
saved a lot of lives. There’s a lot of fear-mongering in the chamber, but I will
be voting yes because vaccines are important.is
Senator Elaine Morgan: Are any of the flu
vaccines or the COVID vaccines included in the regimen as necessary for
children?
Senator Ujifusa: They are recommended by our
Department of Health, yes.
Senator Morgan: Okay. Thank you.
Senate President Lawson: There are 37 votes in the affirmative, one against the act passes.
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