CALL TO ACTION - contact Governor Justice

Dear WV Nurses, 

Thank you to everyone who has contacted the Governor and requested that he VETO House Bill 5105.   We have to keep the pressure on.

The bill has taken another step closer to his desk. The Governor’s office is tallying calls for and against this bill, so volume is essential at this time. We need to flood his office with VOLUMES of calls, letters, and emails.  Here’s how you can help…

• Please contact our Governor, by calling and emailing him every day until he has taken action.
• Encourage your friends and family to contact him, too. 
• If you have children in a private or parochial schools, a letter from your child/children to the Governor is highly encouraged.
• Letters from WV healthcare facilities, organizations, private/parochial schools, faith communities, and local businesses requesting the Governor’s veto are also highly encouraged.

This is our last chance at stopping this bill which would greatly impact our immunization rates by weakening our strong immunization policy and the protections we have against preventable illness.

Call to Action:  Reach out to Governor Justice and request that he VETO HB 5105.

The Governor’s Office phone number is: (304) 558-2000

 

Here is a link to electronically submit a letter to the Governor:  Submit a Comment to the Governor: Governor (accessgov.com)

 

The snail mail address is:

                The Honorable Jim Justice

                Office of the Governor

                State Capitol

                1900 Kanawha Blvd., East

                Charleston, WV  25305

 

Additionally, the direct email address to his chief counsel, Berkeley Bentley, is: berkeley.bentley@wv.gov

*Mr. Bentley will collect all information related to bills and present it to the Governor.

 

Sample message: 

               Subject Line:  VETO HB 5105

Dear Honorable Governor Justice,

 

I am a… (insert all that apply: healthcare provider, parent/grandparent, student, member of ___ faith community, etc.) in __ County, WV. I am emailing to ask you to veto House Bill 5105.   

 

HB 5105 will remove the immunization requirements for virtual school students and private and parochial schools, creating pockets of schools with low vaccination rates and increasing the likelihood for disease outbreaks.  Administrators at these schools would have no knowledge of their students’ immunization status, making outbreak response very challenging.   

Private and parochial school students deserve the same health and safety precautions as public students.  The private and parochial school students, virtual school students, and their communities will be at risk for the return of dangerous, yet preventable diseases which are just a car or a plane ride away.  Measles is circulating in 17 states, including most of our neighboring states.  Our strong vaccination policies have protected West Virginia from outbreaks of measles.  Please do not put out a welcome mat for the return of preventable disease.     

West Virginia has been a national leader in school immunization requirements.  We want to keep it that way.  We ask that you do not jeopardize the health and safety of our children and communities by weakening West Virginia’s school immunization requirements. 

We respectfully request that you VETO HB 5105.

              Sincerely,

              Your name

For faculty, this is a great project for your policy students.  Please consider asking students to make a call to the Governor asking for him to veto HB 5105.  The medical students have been doing this, it's perfect for nursing students to also be active in this process.  

Sincerely, 

Julie