26 of the 31 state senators have signed a letter to Governor Perry asking him to withdraw his order which usurps the right of parents to make decisions regarding their minor children's medical care and, because the Governor bypassed and blindsided the Legislature in this matter, tramples on the separation of powers. People in Texas are ANGRY!

Gardasil is manufactured by Merck, which is spending millions of dollars to get the drug mandated in as many states as possible. At $360 for a three-injection regimen and a fresh crop of 11-year-old girls coming on line each year, Merck reportedly stands to make billions of dollars if the plan goes through. But, Governor Perry's action has brought about previously unknown facts about Gardasil that have raised alarm among parents. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have questioned the necessity and safety of Gardasil and have publicly opposed the mandate. Dr. Bill Hinchey, president-elect of the TMA, told the Houston Chronicle (2/7/07), "There are issues, such as liability and cost, that need to be vetted first." [emphasis added]

Last year the Associated Press reported the FDA warning that, "any advantage the vaccine provides in protecting against the four virus types could be offset by infection by any of the multiple [over 100] other types of HPV that the vaccine does not cover." The FDA further noted that "the vaccine may lead to an increased number of cases of a cancer precursor among patients already infected by any of the four virus types at the time they receive the vaccine, and whose immune systems have not cleared the virus from their bodies." (Press of Atlantic City, Atlantic City, NJ, May 17, 2006)

CONTACT: Governor Rick Perry's Opinion Line — 800/252-9600; Business Line — 512/463-2000

To reach your State Representative and Senator Texas State Capitol Switchboard — 512/463-4630

LET'S PUT HUMAN EMBRYOS ON THE FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST! 
Enforcement agents from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking information in the killing of a southern bald eagle, a federally protected endangered species, a crime carrying a fine of up to $100,000.

ERA DEFEATED IN ARKANSAS 
Feminist promoters of the federal Equal Rights Amendment are still at it, trying to get a few more states to ratify it, even though the Supreme Court declared it dead in 1982 after a 10-year battle that included an unconstitutional 3-year extension. (Congress originally set a 7-year deadline for states to ratify the ERA, then extended the deadline 3 more years by a simple majority vote instead of the 2/3rds required for a Constitutional Amendment.) RNC/Life National Chairman and Eagle Forum president Phyllis Schlafly led the successful fight against the ERA from 1972 to 1982, largely because she knew that if ratified, it would be used as a tool to strike down state laws regulating or restricting abortion and force taxpayer-funding of abortions. Mrs. Schlafly testified before the Arkansas committee and told the lawmakers that the amendment would make all federal laws sex-neutral. "The Amendment pretends to help women, but it does nothing for them," she said. (The Washington Times, 2/8/07) On February 7, the State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee of the Arkansas House of Representatives defeated HJR 1002 10 to 10, with two co-sponsors voting against it after they were informed of the anti-life effects the ERA would have.