Confirmed: Lobbyists Calling the Shots for SB277; Community Outpour Ignored

By Jefferey Jaxen

After the historic outpouring of families to halt the passing of SB277 last Wednesday in California, information has now been made public to further put into question the bill’s credibility.

After passing the Sacramento Health Committee vote, the bill was delayed as committee chair Senator Carol Liu wisely told the bill’s author Richard Pan “If I were you, I would not take a vote today.” At the conclusion of the vote, Liu asked Senator Pan point blank how he wanted to proceed. To this, Pan, appearing to have no power to make the decision, turned to lobbyists Jodi Hicks and Janus Norman for advice. It is telling that, here, the authors Senator Pan and Ben Allen appear to be told what to do and how to do it. Pan is making his decisions based not on the thousands of families that showed up in protest, but from lobbyists. When Richard Pan turns to Hicks and Norman for his orders, it becomes clear that these individuals are the ones behind senate bill 277.

Hicks currently is a founding member of the independent Sacramento lobbying firm DiMare, Brown, Hicks, and Kessler (DBHK). She is also the former chief lobbyist of the California Medical Association (CMA) who Pan, under her direction, was an active member as a lobbyist for doctors before becoming Senator.

The CMA makes no secret about their stance on vaccinations having launched “community immunity” recently pushing for more vaccinated adults. During Pan’s 2014 campaign for Senate, many of his promotional ads featured Hicks’s daughter Seneca in them. The other lobbyist behind the bill is Janus Norman who currently serves as chief lobbyist for the CMA.

Also making an appearance were many of Senator Pan’s 2014 campaign contributors who were among the 53 who voiced support for the bill during the Senate Educational Committee hearing. Representatives from Biocom, Classified Employees of California School Employees, The California Association of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics and others went on record as “in favor of SB277.”

A last-minute switch was also made before this Wednesday’s vote seeing Senator Huff, who voted “no on SB277” replaced with Senator Sharon Runner. Also, Senator Bill Monning was added who already voted “yes on SB277” at the 6 – 2 Health Committee vote previously.

Jefferey Jaxen is an independent journalist, writer, and researcher. Focusing on personal empowerment and alternative health, his work reveals a sharp eye to capture the moment in these rapidly changing times.  His personal page is located at JeffereyJaxen.com, where this first appeared.