August 12, 2016 02:59 PM UTC

Anti-Vaxxer PAC Registered in Colorado (Oh Boy!)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Here’s a newly-registered political committee to keep on the radar: the Colorado Coalition for Vaccine Choice Political Committee, created “to support or oppose Colorado state and local political candidates based on their views on protecting medical informed consent, vaccine exemptions provided in Colorado Revised Statutes 22-32-140, C.R.S. 25-4-903, and C.R.S. 25-4-902.”

In other words, the “anti-vaxxer PAC!” There’s no money or expenditures to report yet, but election season is still very young.

Our readers will recall that the last couple of years have seen a significant upsurge in “anti-vaxxer” political organizing among Colorado Republicans, in particular the 2015 “Parents Bill of Rights” sponsored by Sen. Tim Neville and backed by Sen. Laura Woods that created a very serious public relations problem for the Colorado Senate GOP majority.

In light of recent outbreaks of preventable diseases like mumps and measles, and polls showing overwhelming public support for vaccinations, “anti-vaxxerism” is a risky stand to take for any politician. It should be noted that even though anti-vaxxer sentiment doesn’t always break cleanly along partisan lines, the fight over the “Parents Bill of Rights” framed the debate in Colorado as red vs. blue.

Anyway, here’s a committee you’ll want to watch closely to know who the “anti-vaxxers” believe speak for them.

Remember to keep some hand sanitizer close by in case you meet up.