Sali speaks out

Former Congressman Bill Sali addresses the House Health & Welfare Committee on Friday morning, calling for extensive amendments to a child-immunization reminder bill and speaking out for parents who choose not to immunize their kids. Idaho ranks 50th for child immunizations .

Former Congressman Bill Sali has shown up at the House Health & Welfare Committee this morning to testify on SB 1335, the IRIS immunization reminder system bill. Sali is proposing amendments to the bill, which already passed the Senate. He’s contending that the bill - backed by the Idaho Medical Association, the Idaho Legislature’s Health Care Task Force and an array of Idaho medical groups - would actually make participation in the registry mandatory, not voluntary, though the sponsors specifically told the committee that it wouldn’t. The bill makes the immunization tracking system automatic unless parents opt out, rather than requiring them to opt in. Read more. Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise

Is this bill a good idea?