March 06, 2004 The Salt Lake Tribune - Child welfare issues unlikely to go away (Scientology/CCHR)  

Jensen isn't the only one planning to keep the parental rights movement in the legislative forefront. "This is the beginning of the fight," said Sandra Lucas, executive director of the Utah Chapter of the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights. "We will not go away. We will be back until we shift the balance back." "Yeah, expect to see something next year," said Sen. Dave Thomas, R-South Weber, still stinging from one Democrat's delay tactics that killed his medical neglect exclusion bill as the session ended. The legislation would exclude parents from charges of medically neglecting their child if they are deemed "reasonable, prudent and fit caregivers." When the session opened Jan. 19, the parental rights movement was stronger than ever in Utah. The rallying cry for reform prompted 15 lawmakers to file 32 bills aiming to change nearly every aspect of the state's child welfare system. But it didn't happen. Of the bills proposed, 15 passed, while the measures with the most impact were either defeated or amended to remove controversial provisions.

August 30, 2003 NFWL Website - Resolution in Support of Senate Passage of the Child Medication Safety Act of 2003  

"We, the undersigned, as members of the NFWL Special Education Subcommittee,in a bi-partisan effort and on behalf of the entire National Foundation for Women Legislators, urge the Senate to pass the Child Medication Safety Act of 2003 (S. 1390) and send it to the President for his signature"

Undated, 2003 Scientology/CCHR Website with NFWL Resolution in - Support of Senate Passage of the Child Medication Safety Act of 2003 -  

"If you have been subjected to or are aware of abuse, sexual assault, crime or malpractice committed by a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health practitioner, CCHR is a group willing to listen to and help you."

May 7, 2003 Orem (Utah) Legislator Takes Aim at Ritalin (Katherine Bryson on Parental Rights) -  

"From here, parents are being coerced into drugging their child with threats of the child's expulsion or charges of medical neglect by child protective services against the parents who refuse to give or take their child off a psychiatric drug," she (Bryson) said. "Parents are losing their right to choose," she said. "I realized the gravity of the situation after being contacted by many parents in Utah and hearing what I can only describe as horror stories," she said.

May 6, 2003 Utah Government Information - Bryson HB 1107 (failed) Psychiatric Treatment of Schoolchildren -Testimony with inclusion of religious language  

In the 2003 Utah Legislative session, she introduced a bill (passed by the House) which would, among other things, make it a felony to give psychiatric treatment, nonvocational mental health counseling, case-finding testing, psychoanalysis, drugs, electroconvulsive treatment, lobotomy, or surgery to any individual for the purpose of changing his concept of, belief about, or faith in God.

April 27, 2003 Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo (this website is no longer available) - Scientology/Joy Westrum Applied for Grant Funding for Erie County Second Chance Project  

February 13, 2003 Associated Press - "Nevada Assembly Democrat reacts to Mexico trip"  

February 11, 2003 Associated Press - "Nevada Assembly Nevada lawmaker promotes prison program with Scientology link"  

December 12, 2002 The Clinton County Leader Newspaper - Plattsburg, Missouri - Women Legislators Take Leadership Role in Protecting Children's Rights Against Forced Psychiatric Drugging

The Clinton County Leader Newspaper - Plattsburg, Missouri Clinton County N E W S W e e k l y O n l i n e E d i t i o n December 12, 2002 Women Legislators Take Leadership Role in Protecting Children's Rights Against Forced Psychiatric Drugging The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an international mental health watchdog, applauds the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL) for taking the lead in promoting federal safeguards for children against enforced psychotropic drugging through schools. On Saturday, November 23, at the NFWL's annual conference held at Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, its subcommittee on Special education passed a resolution citing national concern about how "Parents are being coerced into accepting psychiatric diagnoses for their child's behavioral or learning problems, insisting that the child be placed on a psychiatric drug as a requisite to remaining in school or face charges of medical, emotional or educational neglect." The resolution urges the Federal government to pass regulations in relation to schools receiving federal funds that protects children from being wrongly diagnosed and stigmatized as mentally disordered and forced onto psychotropic drugs as a requirement for their education. Rhode Island State Representative Aisha Abdullah-Odiase, who organized the symposium from her position as the vice chairman of the NFWL Education Committee stated, "When considering issues of attention, behavior and academic challenges among school age children in this country today, I think back to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who once reminded us that we cannot put our own comfort and safety above that of our children. Yet that is exactly what we are doing when we allow the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industry to infiltrate our schools and coerce parents to just say yes to Class II psychotropic drugs..to suppress and not address, symptoms of overlooked academic, physical or societal challenges." In February this year, NFWL held a legislative symposium in Sacramento, hearing from medical and political experts from across the country on the over-medication of children with attention or behavior problems. Between six and eight million American children have been prescribed psychotropic drugs, with the sales of stimulants for "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) reaching more than $784 million in 2001. Concern continues to mount after four children over the past two years-the youngest aged seven-died from cardiac or toxicity problems relating to prescribed psychotropic drugs. Women state legislators have been in the forefront of getting legislation of resolutions passed that restrict the use of psychotropic drugs on children. In Connecticut, AB 5701, passed in 2000, prohibits school personnel from recommending the use of such drugs for any student. Ms. Jan Eastgate, the international president of CCHR, said, "NFWL and its women legislative leaders have recognized a serious issue in our nation: millions of school-age children with educational problems being medicated instead of educated. One of the most common drugs used to tread ADHD is a Schedule II controlled substance, in the same category as opium, morphine, heroin and cocaine. Parents are unwittingly giving their kids 'kiddy-cocaine", and are not being apprised of all the potential medical and educational causes for misbehavior or inattention. The NFWL Education Committee resolution isolates both the problems and several solutions for this, including ensuring that parents have access to all information regarding their options to help children with symptoms of so-called learning or behavioral problems, including tutoring, vision testing, phonics, nutritional guidance, medical examinations, allergy testing, standard disciplinary procedures and other remedies known to be effective and harmless. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was established by the Church of Scientology to investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights. For more information log onto http://www.fightforkids.com or call CCHR at 1-800-869-2247. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an international mental health watchdog, applauds the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL) for taking the lead in promoting federal safeguards for children against enforced psychotropic drugging through schools.

November 26, 2002 US Newswire - &Women Legislators Take Leadership Role on Psychiatric Drugs"  

November 21, 2002 Signs on SanDiego - U.S. officials to visit Mexico prison to get look at drug program

TIJUANA - About 100 female legislators from the United States will visit the state prison in Ensenada today to see firsthand the results of a program for drug-addicted inmates. The state began the program, called Segunda Oportunidad, or Second Opportunity, seven years ago, based on the Church of Scientology's prisoner rehabilitation program, called Narconon. It is based on the philosophies of the late L. Ron Hubbard.

The program begins with a detoxification process that uses sauna baths, massages, vitamins and proteins to reduce the biochemical effects of the drugs. No medications are used - not even methadone, a drug that reduces the symptoms of heroin withdrawal.

The National Foundation of Women Legislators, which counts among its members Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, has been meeting in San Diego this week. About 100 of those on hand plan to travel to Ensenada today.

October 10, 2002 Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security examines H.R. 5519 - Reduci ng Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstacy Act of 2002

One example of DEA's commitment toward a national campaign can be found in our recent partnership with the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL). DEA has joined with NFWL in a common cause: educating the American public about the dangers of ecstasy and predatory drugs. Robin Read, President and CEO of the NFWL, called the partnership, ''one of the most innovative programs the NFWL has embarked upon in its 64 year history.''

September 19, 2002 DEA Congressional Testimony - Statement of Asa Hutchinson, Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration Before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources

In May of this year, DEA partnered with the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL) in a common cause: educating the American public about the dangers of Club Drugs such as MDMA and GHB. Robin Read, President and CEO of the NFWL called the partnership, "one of the most innovative programs the NFWL has embarked upon in its 64 year history."

May 2002 Drug Reform Coordination Network - "DEA Forges Alliance With Women Legislators Group to Wage War on Club Drugs, Terror"  

May 2002 Alabama Anniston Star - "Drug Enforcement Administration and Legislators Partner to Fight Drugs and Narco-Terrorism"  

"Since 9-11, the War on Drugs has developed into a War on Narco-Terrorism. Drug trafficking has become a national security issue because it is often drug money that finances terrorist operations," said DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson.

May 2, 2002 Rhode Island Legislative Press - "Rep. Abdullah-Odiase says Rhode Island is a national leader in psychiatric drugging of children"  

March 2002 Rhode Island Legislative Press - " Rep. Abdullah-Odiase addresses national symposium"  

August 23, 2001 Rhode Island Legislative Press - " Providence legislator leads investigation into special education medication policies"  

March 12, 2001 Nevada General Assembly Cmte on Education - " Assemblywoman Angle, representing Assembly District 29 urges consideration of Bill 226 using typical CCHR documentation"  

Ms. Angle brought the bill after hearing controversy regarding their use. Exhibit C contained a letter of testimony from Dr. Peter R. Breggin, various articles that cautioned against the use of such drugs, a copy of a class-action lawsuit against Ritalin, and pieces of legislation introduced in other states.

A second handout (Exhibit D) was a description of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its symptoms. Because so many of the symptoms could be seen in a number of people, caution should be used in diagnosing a child with the disorder and prescribing drugs. Ms. Angle urged the committee to consider the overall issue. A.B. 226 addressed the issue, had no fiscal impact, and was a guideline to educators.

February 29, 2000 Rhode Island Legislative Press - "Rep. Abdullah-Odiase posts two bills to regulate 'behavior' drugs for children"  

Feb 26, 2000 Scientology-CCHR 31st anniversary celebration - " Pennsylvania Women Legislator receives Scientology Award"  

A Catastrophe In Education

Another public official who discovered the catastrophic effect on our society of drugging children is Pennsylvania State Representative Leanna Washington.

Next followed a series of roundtable discussions, first at the annual congress of the National Foundation of Women Legislators, then to the Youth Committee of the National Caucus of Black State Legislators.

Due to Rep. Washington's spirit and determination, on December 1, 1999, the National Caucus of Black State Legislators, representing 600 legislators across the country, unanimously passed a resolution which declared that Ritalin-classified by the DEA as a Schedule II narcotic, along with cocaine and other highly addictive drugs-should never be changed to a lesser class of narcotic. It also stated that because of the "recent incidents of school violence and other occasions of violence [being] the result of children being unnecessarily medicated by such drugs," the Caucus has called for a national investigation into the use of all psychiatric drugs and their effects on children.

Presented the CCHR Human Rights Award by soul music legend and actor Isaac Hayes, Rep. Washington told the audience, "It does not make me proud to know that the United States is the Ritalin capital of the world, that Americans consume five times as much of this drug as the rest of the world.

International CCHR president Jan Eastgate of Los Angeles opened the awards presentation by acknowledging those with courage and persistence who have joined the battle against psychiatric abuse. Psychiatry's treatment of individuals has not evolved much from the whips and chains of Bedlam, she said, citing the use of mind-altering psychiatric drugs on school children, a practice which has been condemned due to the strong link with senseless and murderous youth violence."

Rev. Heber C. Jentzsch, President of Church of Scientology International and a founding member of CCHR, delivered the keynote speech. "....Psychiatry reduced man to the level of an animal, destroying his aspirations, perverting his hopes and stripping him of all humanity, he concluded. It is no less a crime than to deny a person life."