LOCALIZE IT: Over 420 anti-science bills target public health protections in statehouses across US

By MICHELLE R. SMITH and LAURA UNGAR
Associated Press

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections – vaccines, milk safety and fluoride – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law.

An Associated Press investigation found that the wave of legislation has cropped up in most states, pushed by people with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The effort would strip away protections that have been built over a century and are integral to American lives and society.

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READ AP’S COVERAGE

Wave of anti-science bills pushed by Kennedy allies hits statehouses, endangering health protections

Who benefits from the MAHA anti-science push?

How AP tracked and analyzed anti-science legislation in US statehouses

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SEARCH THE AP’S BILL LIST

The AP found over 420 anti-science bills in state legislatures, and about 30 were enacted or approved.

A list of all bills that were introduced can be found on the online bill-tracking platform Plural, at this link.

A list of bills that were enacted or approved can be found on Plural here.

You can click on the bill number to read the text of the legislation and view additional information, such as the primary sponsors and dates when the bill passed each legislative chamber. If you click on the three vertical dots to the right of the word “share,” you will see an option to “view source,” which will take you to the state legislative website for that particular piece of legislation. There, you can usually find a detailed history of the bill.

If your state legislative websites allow, you can search bills in your own state with keywords including “vaccine,” “immunization,” “fluoride,” “raw milk” or “pasteurize.”

This AP graphic highlights U.S. states where anti-science legislation was introduced this year. You can find the embed code at the end of the guide.

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FIND YOUR STATE: ANTI-SCIENCE LEGISLATION

AP found anti-science legislation on vaccines, fluoride or milk safety in 43 states:

Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

AP found anti-science legislation was enacted in 12 states:

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah

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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS

— What kinds of bills on vaccines, milk safety and fluoride did lawmakers in your state propose this year? Review the AP’s list of anti-science legislation for background. Speak to the legislative sponsors, as well as those who opposed those bills. Was the legislation developed in partnership with any local advocacy groups, and what do they say about it? What do medical groups, pediatricians and infectious disease specialists say about the legislation?

— How have national groups with connections to Kennedy advocated for or against legislation in your state? AP found many bills were supported by at least one of four national groups connected to Kennedy. Each published information online about bills they supported or opposed this year. MAHA Action has a legislative tracker here, Stand for Health Freedom’s page is here, the National Vaccine Information Center advocacy portal can be found here, and the Weston A. Price Foundation publishes action alerts here.

— In states where anti-science legislation was enacted, how will this affect people? Will schools, day cares, medical offices or businesses have to change the way they do things? What do they say about those changes?

— Vaccine rates have fallen around the country. Check with your state’s health department or education department to see if they publish data showing community or school vaccination rates. Rhode Island, for example, publishes vaccination rates by individual school at this link. How do parents and teachers feel about the vaccine rates at their schools. How are public health officials trying to increase vaccination rates or keep them from dropping?

— AP also found many pro-science bills in statehouses across the country. How are lawmakers and health advocates pushing back against the anti-science wave? How are scientists, doctors and public health experts getting involved?

— Are businesses or industries in your state that stand to profit from the anti-science wave pushing such bills? Check who testified about the bills, and check lobbying databases. What special interests are represented in public advocacy for these bills?

— Find people affected by vaccine-preventable disease or the rising anti-science sentiment. National pro-vaccine groups can connect you with people whose lives have been profoundly affected by diseases including measles, whooping cough, flu, polio and others. Outbreaks related to consuming raw milk have sickened people in California, Florida and other states in recent years. Check with your health department to find out whether there has been an outbreak in your state.

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READ AP’S PAST COVERAGE

Deep cuts erode the foundations of US public health system, end progress, threaten worse to come

Measles exploded in Texas after stagnant vaccine funding. New cuts threaten the same across the US

Many forget the damage done by diseases like whooping cough, measles and rubella. Not these families

US childhood vaccination rates fall again as exemptions set another record

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USE THIS MAP

The following digital embed highlights U.S. states where anti-science legislation was introduced this year. This map will not update. Source: Associated Press analysis of bills collected by Plural and the National Conference of State Legislatures

Click for a preview.

To embed, insert this code into your CMS:

!– start AP embed —

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!– end AP embed —

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Localize It is a resource produced regularly by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to the Local News Success team at localizeit@ap.org. View guides published in the last 30 days here.