LDA Activities in States – 2008 & 2009

MN / WI Summer 2009 Trip

Hot Topics in Forest Lake Minnesota

LDA President Pat Smith (L) with LA TV’s host Greg Ochs after she appeared on his hour long show Hot Topics in Forest Lake Minnesota on August 9, 2009. Author Pam Weintraub, (R) taped another show the next day with Greg. Ms. Smith discussed the spread of the disease, prevention, legislation, and the controversies. Ms. Weintraub focused on the science in her show. 

LDA Meets with Congressional Offices in Minnesota and Wisconsin Wisconsin ranks 7th in the country and Minnesota ranks 8th in reported Lyme disease cases, dispelling the myth that Lyme is a disease only found in the Northeast. LDA discussed HR 1179 with legislative offices there after a 4-day August trip in those states, hosted by the Minnesota Lyme Action Support Group, an LDA affiliate.

 

 LDA Goes to Wisconsin

 

Forest Lake Minnesota Lyme Disease Forum

 

Briefing the Minnesota Senate

Pat Smith’s Testimony Regarding MN Bill – HF 2597

 

PA

 

 

Pennsylvania House Majority Policy Committee Hearing on Lyme Disease On December 2, 2009, PA Representative Mathew Bradford hosted a hearing on Lyme disease. LDA was invited to testify as was LDA SEPA, an LDA affiliate and several other Lyme groups. The Committee heard several hours of testimony and then heard from local residents many of whom had children sick with Lyme disease. The Committee makes recommendations to the Pennsylvania House about issues affecting residents across the state after conducting hearings in various locations, of whom had children sick with Lyme disease.

 

Picture

LDA president Pat Smith and LDA of Southeastern Pennsylvania President Doug Fearn in Worcester PA on December 3, 2009 where they testified before the Pennsylvania House Majority Policy Committee on Combating Lyme Disease. Also pictured are advocate Don Hannum, Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Awareness Committee, and Melissa Walsh, MPH, Supervisor of Chronic Disease Injury Prevention Division, Chester County Department of Health, who testified about the amount of Lyme disease in Chester County and the reporting issues, and Karen Simeone, Program Director and Julia Wagner, Director of the Montgomery County Lyme Information & Support Group who spoke about a number of local families and their children who are affected. Ms. Smith addressed the federal issues, epidemiology, state issues and provided recommendations table to the Committee. Mr. fearn spoke about the programs provided for PA Lyme patients by LDASEPA and factors contributing to the spread, especially the increase in deer population.

NJ

LDA President Pat Smith (L) and NJ LymeQuest Support Group Leader, Jeannine Phillips (R), meet with Assemblyman Chivukula about Lyme disease issues in New Jersey.

 

TN

Lyme Disease in Tennessee

 

LDA President Pat Smith with Michael Schulz, Field Representative for Lamar Alexander after a meeting in the Senator’s Nashville Office on Lyme and other Tick-borne diseases in Tennessee.

TX

Texas LDA asks for help from Texas Residents Texas is rounding up and moving out to “Give Lyme the Boot”. A Concurrent Resolution, H.C.R. 152 was unanimously and enthusiastically voted out of committee on April 28, and referred to the House calendar for full consideration of an interim study of the status of Lyme disease in Texas. All Texas patients, family, friends and interested parties can support this effort here.