Latest news with #GinoBulso
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tennessee once led the U.S. in childhood vaccines; a proposed bill would strip requirements
Tennessee was once a leader in childhood vaccines, but a Tennessee House bill would make required vaccines unconstitutional. (Photo: John Partipilo) Since 1967, Tennessee has protected students, faculty, staff, and communities by requiring certain vaccinations for children to attend school but House Joint Resolution 28, by Rep. Gino Bulso, a Brentwood Republican, threatens to make these requirements unconstitutional. School vaccination requirements play a vital role in keeping diseases at bay. Measles eradication is a shining example of the success of such laws and the return of outbreaks like the current one in Texas is a chilling reminder of their importance. The first measles vaccine was approved in 1963, and the first national vaccination campaign followed in 1966. Within two years, measles incidence had decreased by more than 90% compared with pre vaccine-era levels. In 1967, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted the state's first school vaccine requirements for kindergartners entering school. Physicians could grant medical exemptions when necessary. Unless there was an epidemic or immediate threat, parents could request a medical exemption if they were members of a 'well-recognized religious denomination whose teachings include reliance on prayer or spiritual means alone for healing.' The law was incredibly effective, and Tennessee saw a large drop in yearly measles cases. In the textbook, 'Law in Public Health Practice,' Kevin Malone and Alan Hinman write, 'states that had school vaccination laws for measles vaccine had measles incidence rates 40% to 51% lower than states without such laws.' Tennessee was a proud leader in the campaign to eradicate disease. By 1977, vaccination rates were declining and. President Jimmy Carter began the national Childhood Immunization Program. The goal of the initiative was for at least 90% of American children to be immunized by 1979. Many states reviewed their immunization laws and began finding better ways to enforce them. After much discussion and deliberation, Tennessee legislators decided that the 1967 law 'was inadequate because it lacked sufficient sanction.' In 1978, almost 10 years after first requiring school vaccinations, the Tennessee General Assembly unanimously passed 'one of the most compulsory school immunization laws in the nation.' The new law extended the requirement to all children in grades K-12 and imposed a penalty for non-compliance. Unvaccinated children were not counted in the school's average daily attendance, which meant they would not be counted for state funding. The state department of public health determined children would be required to receive vaccines for iphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, and rubella to begin school in 1978. Ensuring 840,000 Tennessee K-12 students were vaccinated was a monumental task. The health departments, schools, media outlets, the Red Cross, the State PTA, and others helped get the word out to parents. Parents and children stood in long lines to get immunized in time for the school year to begin. State Health Commissioner, E.W. Fowinkle, reported that though they had a difficult mountain to climb, 'the campaign received strong support from the public, physicians, and the health and education personnel.' He admitted that the departments of health and education were not always aligned. They agreed about the importance of the immunization program, but it wasn't always easy to manage. Naturally, the health department's main focus was the immunization program. They needed the education department to help with enforcement. The education department sometimes resented the disruption the immunization program caused. Despite these difficulties, an audit at the end of the 1978–1979 school year showed that 95.3% of all K-12 students in public schools were immunized. Only 0.2% of parents requested medical or religious exemptions. According to Malone and Hinman, 'an analysis of states with the highest and lowest incidences of measles in 1979–1980 found that states with the lowest incidence rates were significantly more likely to have laws covering the entire school population … and more likely to be strictly enforcing the laws.' In 1981, Commissioner Fowinkle wrote, 'outbreaks … are not as devastating now as outbreaks of earlier years, but they are viewed as unnecessary because today they are preventable. The infrequent incidences of physical impairment and death that result from these diseases are even more tragic because they are unnecessary.' Forty five years later, his words are still true, perhaps even more so. The laws enacted in 1978 have largely remained intact over the last several decades. Religious exemptions have broadened to any 'conflicts with the parent's or guardian's religious tenets and practices.' Though immunization rates have steadily declined over the last several years, (Figure 2), Tennessee has a measles immunization rate of 94.9%. In 2000, the United States declared measles eradicated. Tennessee continues to have less than a handful of measles cases each year. Parents want to keep their children safe and healthy. They understand the importance of school vaccine requirements. According to a 2024 Centers for Disease Control parent survey, 'the majority (76.6%) of parents/guardians somewhat or strongly agreed that school and daycare vaccination requirements are important and necessary.' In Tennessee, despite the broad exemption policy, more than 90% of school children are vaccinated. Tennessee once proudly led the rest of the country in preventing disease. HJR0028 threatens to make us a leader in increased illnesses, hospitalizations, long-lasting impairments, and even deaths. Our general assembly has the opportunity to choose the kind of example we want to be to the rest of the country. It is my sincere hope that they choose the health and safety of our children and communities by rejecting Bulso's bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee could add ‘covenant marriage' with proposed bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One Tennessee lawmaker would like to add a new kind of marriage to the books through a bill filed in the General Assembly. State Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) has filed HB 0315, which would enact the 'Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act.' According to its text, the bill would create a new kind of marriage agreement between Tennesseans. A 'covenant marriage' is defined in the bill as one entered into by one man and one woman, each having reached the 'age of majority,' who 'understand and agree that marriage is a lifelong relationship.' The bill requires both parties to receive counseling emphasizing the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage, and the marriage can only be broken legally when one person has committed a 'complete and total breach of the marital covenant commitment.' Under the text of the bill, a man and woman may contract a covenant marriage by declaring their intent to do so on their application for a marriage license and executing a declaration of intent to contract a covenant marriage. The application and declaration must then be filed with the county clerk who issues the marriage license. That declaration must contain a few things, under the proposed bill: A statement made by both parties declaring solemnity and dedication to the covenant marriage under the law, as provided by the bill An affidavit by the parties that they have received premarital counseling from an ordained minister, religious priest or clergyman of a bona fide religion, or a counselor licensed under state law. Such counseling must include a discussion of the seriousness of covenant marriage, communication of the fact that a covenant marriage is a commitment for life, a discussion of the obligation to seek marital counseling in times of marital difficulties, and a discussion of the exclusive grounds for legally terminating a covenant marriage by divorce A notarized attestation confirming the parties were counseled as to the nature and purpose of the marriage and the grounds for termination; and the ordained minister, religious priest, clergyman, or licensed counselor provided to the parties the informational pamphlet developed and promulgated by the secretary of state. The attestation must be signed by either the religious figure or counselor, according to the bill. The signatures of both parties witnessed by a notary public Robertson Co. community honors pioneering Black educators The bill also provides a way for couples married before July 1, 2025, to execute a declaration of intent to designate their marriage as a covenant marriage. All they would need to do is provide the same declaration documents to the office of the county clerk who issued their marriage license. If a couple wants to designate their marriage as a covenant marriage but they were married out of state, the bill states they can provide their declaration with a copy of their out-of-state marriage license to the county clerk's office where they live. In both cases—previously held marriages and to-be-covenant marriages—the declarations must contain the following language signed by both parties: We do solemnly declare that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman who agree to live together as husband and wife for so long as we both may live. We have chosen each other carefully and disclosed to one another everything which could adversely affect the decision to enter into this marriage. We have received premarital counseling on the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage. We have read the Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act, and we understand that a covenant marriage is for life. If we experience marital difficulties, we commit ourselves to take all reasonable efforts to preserve our marriage, including attending marriage counseling. With full knowledge of what this commitment means, we do hereby declare that our marriage will be bound by the laws of this state on covenant marriage, and we promise to love, honor, and care for one another as husband and wife for the rest of our lives 'Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act' statement 'Most Wanted' man arrested for road rage incident As outlined in the bill, there are only specific circumstances for which those in a covenant marriage could end it. A 'non-breaching' party to the marriage could choose to obtain a judgment of divorce for the following reasons: The other spouse has committed adultery The other spouse has committed a felony and has been sentenced to death or continuous confinement The other spouse has abandoned the matrimonial domicile for one year and 'repeatedly refuses to return' The other spouse has physically or sexually abused the spouse seeking the divorce or a child of one of the spouses The spouses have been living separately and apart continuously without reconciliation for two years, or for one year following an official date of legal separation The bill also outlines how someone in a covenant marriage could obtain a legal separation from a judge, including: Adultery Committing a felony and receiving life imprisonment or the death penalty Abandonment Living alone for at least two years without reconciliation On account of habitual intemperance of the other spouse, or excesses, cruel treatment, or outrageous conduct of the other spouse, if such treatment is of a nature as to render their living together insupportable Despite having grounds for separation and divorce, the bill states a legal separation 'does not dissolve the bond of matrimony, because the separated husband and wife are not at liberty to marry again.' It further states spouses who are legally separated in a covenant marriage must stay in that marriage until their either reconcile or divorce. ⏩ Finally, the bill requires the secretary of state to promulgate an informational pamphlet that outlines the 'consequences of entering into a covenant marriage.' The pamphlet must be made available to the religious leaders and counselors outlined as provided in the bill. If passed, the 'Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act' would take effect July 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Covenant marriages will make Tennessee families stronger especially for children
The American family is struggling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-5 marriages in the United States fail within five years, ballooning to 1-in-2 within 20 years. And while year-to-year divorce rates hit a 50-year low – which really isn't saying much in absolute terms – this has come with the side-effect of marriage rates continuing to plummet, down over 50% over the last half-century. From here, there are many directions I could go to explain why any of this matters. Marriage and the family are the foundations upon which society rests. When these foundations are shaken, their effects, to varying degrees, ripple through all aspects of society. The most immediate of these effects, however, is that on children. A recent journal article in 'World Psychiatry' underscored how divorce has been 'associated with an increased risk' of poor academic performance, behavioral and substance use issues, and depression in youth. But I don't think we need psychiatrists to tell us this. If you yourself didn't experience the disruptive effect of divorce growing up, you most definitely know some who did. No wonder younger generations are so leery to enter marriages. We are traumatized. But we must not forget that this understandable reaction itself has beget another problem. More children than ever before are being born out of wedlock either into broken familial situations or into cohabitating situations that, without the security marriage provides, are disproportionately correlated with the same type of issues addressed above. It isn't just that divorce is bad for children, it's that marriage is actively good for them. For the sake of America's families, we need to Make Marriage Great Again, and Tennessee is poised to do just that with a bill – the Covenant Marriage Act (House Bill 315/Senate Bill 737) – introduced this session by Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Franklin, and Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon. The bill contains two symbiotic elements that I think would help reduce divorce rates in Tennessee, which as of 2023 has the 13th highest rate in the nation. First, those seeking a covenant marriage would need to undergo marriage counseling and, second, the couple's divorce options after marrying would be limited to extreme situations such as domestic violence or abandonment. While the latter might seem overly restrictive, it serves to keep the couple accountable. Attraction and a sense of connection to the other – both of which have their highs and lows, with many jumping ship in the low moments – are not the only things marriage is about. It is about making a lifelong commitment to the betterment of the other and fostering a bond so strong that a family, abounding in the love of the parents, can be born. Committing to this family, a commitment baked into marriage, means working through even some serious problems without giving up, which is not only better, on balance, for children but also good for the parents. The requirement of marriage counseling, then, can be seen as a favor. For those already prepared for the commitment, it will just serve as a good reminder. For those not prepared, it will either impel them to build a healthier foundation for a lifelong bond or reveal that marriage isn't for them—both of which are better than a messy, costly, and traumatizing divorce down the line. Honestly, I would make covenant marriages the default option with the ability to opt-out – the current bill does the opposite – as it is just too much of a good to be relegated to the bottom of a form many people won't bother to read. But let's take what we can get. For the good of the spouses and, if for nothing else, the children. Noah Jenkins is the chairman of the Tennessee and Vanderbilt College Republicans and has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, and Fox News Digital. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee families will benefit from covenant marriages | Opinion
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Tennessee bathroom bill on transgender access targets residential educational facilities
Two Republicans are seeking to require any educational facilities that house minors overnight to segregate restrooms and shower areas based on "immutable biological sex," in an effort to protect girls' privacy. House Bill 64 seeks to require any 'residential educational program' in Tennessee that serves minors to segregate restrooms, changing areas and showers 'by immutable biological sex.' The bill would apply to programs of any duration, run by both public and private entities. It's sponsored by Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Franklin, and Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Manchester. The bill passed a first committee hurdle on Tuesday, passing the House Education Administration Subcommittee in a 5-1 party line vote after about 30 minutes of discussion. 'My constituents tell me that they believe that girls, when they're going into the bathroom or into the shower, deserve privacy and security such that only other girls are allowed to share those same facilities,' he said. 'They don't want boys in there.' During the hearing, Bulso said he brought the bill because of the experiences of a family in his district. A local private university's summer program asked parents if they would consent to their teenage daughter being assigned a roommate who is transgender. They did not consent to the roommate assignment, and objected to the young people sharing shower and restroom facilities. "The school was going to allow boys who quote, identified, close quote, as girls to share the same showering and restroom facilities on the floor of the dormitories where the students would be housed," Bulso said. "The purpose of this bill ... is to protect girls, protect young ladies and their privacy." Bulso said he considers the measure an 'issue of public health and safety.' 'The boys who are identifying as girls at this particular residential educational program are actively flirting with some of the girls in the bathroom,' Bulso said. State law already bars transgender students from accessing sex-based multi-use restrooms and changing facilities, instead requiring schools to offer another 'reasonable accommodation' to transgender students and school staff. A federal judge dismissed a legal challenge last September. In 2021, Gov. Bill Lee signed a law requiring businesses that allow transgender people to use facilities associated with their gender identity to post a sign notifying the public. That law was struck down by a federal judge a year later. It's rare that a subcommittee draws a crowd on the first full day of hearings during a legislative session. But House Hearing Room 4 was packed on Tuesday afternoon as spectators held signs that read 'Flush HB 64' and 'Get your mind out of the toilet and do something to actually protect our kids.' Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, the lone Democrat on the committee, condemned the bill as an attack on minorities, and said lawmakers should address far more pressing matters, like child hunger, household expenses, and housing. 'When I think about the attacks constantly on folks we don't agree with because we don't like their lifestyle, it's really disheartening,' Glynn said. 'Yet we continue this ongoing battle to demonize folks we don't agree with. It's as if we are back in slavery days when folks continued to demonize Black folks because they didn't look the right way or they didn't act the right way.' Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, questioned whether the legislation would create an unfunded mandate for private institutions. Bulso responded that he sees no cost of compliance. 'Recall that 20 years ago, every educational institution that dealt with minors was likely to have a boys bathroom and a girl's bathroom. I believe that is still the case,' Bulso said. 'It's not so much that anything needs to be built. It's just a question of who is allowed to use which restroom facility and which showering facility.' Cepicky also questioned whether mothers would still be able to take 4- and 5-year-old sons into the restroom with them. Bulso said prohibiting such an action is not the intent of the bill. 'Shameful!' one demonstrator called, as Bulso left the room. 'What bathroom am I supposed to use?' another called out. 'This is pedophile behavior, Bulso!' one spectator roared. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee bathroom bill targets trans access at residential facilities
