For your information.... Also wishing you a very Happy New Year, ListUncle ----- Original Message ----- From: "Unclefred" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2002 1:04 PM Subject: [Q-R] Fw: Massachusetts Vital Records Closed with H5158 bill passage! > > > Often we are in a position to study History, > from time to time, we are in a position to observe History, > more rarely, we are in a position to participate in the making of > History.. > > Study it out in your mind, then act as your conscience dictates... > > ListUncle > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gordon A. Watts" <[email protected]> > To: "Canada Census Campaign" <[email protected]> > Cc: "Sharon Sergeant" <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2002 12:38 PM > Subject: Massachusetts Vital Records Closed with H5158 bill passage! > > > > Greetings All. > > > > It appears that legislators in Massachusetts are once again attacking > > the free access to records vital to all who seek information on their > > ancestors. I pass the following message on for the benefit of our > many > > listers residing in the US and urge you to read this message carefully > > and act accordingly. Massachusetts is not the only State eyeing the > > closure of vital records and genealogists must be vigilant in advising > > misguided legislators that they do not wish this to happen. > > > > Sharon Sergeant and people she represents have been strong supporters > of > > our efforts to regain public access to our Post-1901 Census records in > > Canada. I urge all to show her the support that she has shown us. > > Forward her message to all you know that may be in a position to voice > > their opposition to this action. > > > > Happy New Year to all, and Happy Hunting. > > > > Gordon A. Watts [email protected] > > Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee > > Port Coquitlam, BC > > > > http://globalgenealogy.com/Census > > en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm > > ======================================= > > > > Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 19:54:11 -0800 (PST) > > From: Sharon Sergeant <[email protected]> > > Reply-To: [email protected] > > Subject: Massachusetts Vital Records Closed with H5158 bill passage! > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > > > MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE BILL H5158 - OPEN RECORDS CLOSED! > > > > The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) initiative to > > RESTRICT the current and historically OPEN vital records of the > > Commonwealth with House Bill H5158 HAS PASSED THE MA HOUSE TODAY > > December 30, 2002! > > > > All that remains is the Massachusetts Senate and Exiting Governor's > > rubber stamp & Did YOU have the opportunity to review the text and > give > > your testimony in HEARINGS? NO! > > > > Do you even have ACCESS to the H5158 text? NO! > > > > Behind closed doors and in the hallways of the legislature, taking > > advantage of the informal sessions, Lame Duck status and holidays, a > > handful of people have take away YOUR RIGHTS to YOUR HERITAGE! > > > > CONTACT YOUR MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR NOW! Tell them who the SILENT > > MAJORITY VOTERS are in their district who RELY ON OPEN MASSACHUSETTS > > VITAL RECORDS > > > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/memmenus.htm > > > > CONTACT YOUR SENATORS! See > > > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/sendis01.htm for 2001-2002 > > > > Just in case this ELEVENTH HOUR tactic actually passes to CLOSE > > MASSACHUSETTS VITAL RECORDS alert the 2003 legislators about YOUR > > CONCERNS on this matter! > > > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/repdis03.htm > > and > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/sendis03.htm > > > > IF YOUR LEGISLATORS DO NOT RESPOND OR ARE NOT AVAILABLE, CONTACT THE > > LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE INFORMAL SESSIONS! > > > > O'Brien, Thomas J. Rep.ThomasO'[email protected] > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/member/tjo1.htm > > > > Susan C. Fargo [email protected] > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/member/scf0.htm > > > > SUMMARY: > > > > The Massachusetts Genealogical Council (MGC) initiative to STOP H5158 > > from passage at the tail end of the July 2002 formal sessions was > > successful - thanks to the response of all CONCERNED citizens in the > > genealogical community. Although the response of many legislators > > indicated that they had clearly not READ or did not UNDERSTAND the > > IMPLICATIONS of H5158, they did understand that large numbers of > > CONSTITUENTS are AGAINST RESTRICTIONS to the PUBLIC GOOD in the form > of > > POORLY DRAFTED legislation that has had NO PUBLIC HEARINGS! > > > > However, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has > > CONTINUED their efforts! > > > > Specifically: December 2002 H5158 language changes have been chosen > for > > the purposes of OTHER BILLS that are not filed yet - Modernization and > > Fraud Control bills that ALSO have had NO PUBLIC HEARINGS! The MGC > > continues to be EXCLUDED from the permanent special vital records and > > statistics committee to oversee the overall improvement including > > preservation and automation of the vital records and statistics system > > in the commonwealth! > > > > Even though the MDPH has repeatedly said the MGC omission was "an > > oversight", this ERROR PERSISTS in the revisions! > > > > NO VERSION of H5158 has been made available to the public via the > > legislative web site since it's FIRST ELEVENTH HOUR introduction in > the > > July formal sessions > > > > http://www.state.ma.us/scripts/legis/ltsh.idq?HouseNumber=5158 > > > > The most recently reported MDPH H5158 wording changes appear as > attempts > > to clarify the previous problems, but introduce the UNKNOWN impact of > > the unfiled legislation PROPOSAL DEPENDENCIES! > > > > CONTACT YOUR SENATORS! See > > > > http://www.state.ma.us/legis/sendis01.htm for 2001-2002 > > > > NO CONTROVERSIAL BILL can be passed in informal sessions IF THE > > CONTROVERSY IS KNOWN! MAKE SURE YOUR SENATOR KNOWS THAT YOU DO NOT > > APPRECIATE BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS! > > > > YOUR RIGHTS TO RECORDS TO RECORDS ACCESS DESERVE A PUBLIC HEARING! > > > > H5158 SHOULD NOT BE PASSED on DECEMBER 31, 2002! > > > > Sharon Sergeant > > Program Director, Massachusetts Genealogical Council > > > > http://massgencouncil.home.attbi.com/index.htm > > > > ===== > > Sharon Sergeant > > Ancestors and Ephemera http://GenealogyFair.com > > Bring Your Ancestors Home! > > > > > > > ==== QUEBEC-RESEARCH Mailing List ==== > Thanks to/Merci a Norman Cazavan for all his wonderful help. > Visit our Quebec list web page. la page Web Quebec: > Http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~unclefred/main.htm > and Read submission requests from 'Best Bill" > et lis les demandes pour poster de "Best Bill" > For the 1901 census campain visit:http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~downhome/committee.html > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >