***** URGENT ***** ***** URGENT ***** ***** URGENT ***** Are Iowa Birth Records Closing????? Are you aware the State of Iowa's Legislature is considering a bill RIGHT NOW to close Iowa birth records to public viewing in Iowa county courthouses? Laws like this have already been enacted in other states. If this bill passes the only way to obtain a birth record for anyone born after 1905 will be to write to the IA State Dept of Health. You will have to pay a (probably) non-refundable fee for EACH record search you want performed. When just starting your research, how will you even know which records to ask for? Aren't you are searching the records for that very information?? The following is from Richard Harrison, the IAGenWeb State Coordinator.: The Closing of Iowa Birth Records???? The Iowa State Department of Health, Vital Records Division, would like to see all birth records less than 95 years old closed to the public at the county level and have drafted a bill to this effect to be taken up by the legislature. According to Larry Coghlan of the Vital Records Dept., "The proposal is to make birth certificates 95 years old and older available for inspection and copying at the county level. The rest of the birth certificates would require a direct and tangible interest to obtain a copy. It is being proposed because of the identity theft (fraud) that has been taking place throughout the United States." This proposal raises a number of questions: Is it really necessary to close 95 years of records to address this problem? How will moving the records from the county level to the state level make it any more (or less) difficult for people interested in committing fraud? How will they define "direct and tangible interest"? Will state employees have the time and inclination to REALLY search the records for your ancestor, or will they keep the money and say "Not Found!" when the record is not exactly where it should be but just a few lines or pages away? Can they take the time to search for possible misspellings or decipher illegible handwriting? If ISDH gets this passed for birth records will all the other records follow suit? Is this an ill-conceived plan to punish the innocent (genealogists and others who need access to these records) instead of the guilty (those who commit fraud)? We need to ask questions, now. If you cherish your right to have all your county records available at your county courthouse, now is the time to speak up. WRITE… CALL… EMAIL… your county officials, state representative, and yes, even Governor Vilsack. If you don't speak up now, it might be too late. -- Richard Harrison/Encinitas, San Diego, California IAGenWeb State Coord.: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iagenweb/index.htm IAGEN-L List Owner: IAGEN-L@rootsweb.com ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** If you are NOT an Iowa resident it is just as important, if not more so, that you also be heard. Remind the legislators of the money you spend when you are in your county of interest to do research. Not only are you providing revenue to the county for copy fees, etc. You are also spending money in their motels, eating establishments, shops, and other area tourist attractions. PLEASE contact one of these legislators and express the importance of having the birth records remain open. Send an email to: keith_weigel@legis.state.ia.us and betty_soukup@legis.state.ia.us ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** CONTACT INFORMATION The Honorable Governor Vilsack Mailing Address: Office of the Governor State Capitol Des Moines, IA 50319 Phone or Fax: (515) 281-5211 phone (515) 281-6611 fax Email the Governor http://www.state.ia.us/governor/comments/index.html The web page below has links to District Maps and to the emails of all the Iowa Senators and Representatives. Send an email to the ones representing your county of interest: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Members/78GA-members.html. We will post the bill number and the names of committee members as soon as that information is available. Please forward this message to: 1) as many people you know who reside in Iowa 2) as many genealogists you know who have Iowa research 3) as many genealogical societies as you know 4) as many other organizations whose voices might make a difference 5) everyone you know who is involved in genealogy and history research ==== INFRANKLI Mailing List ==== Don't forget to stop by the Franklin County Genealogy Website at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/6863