In March 2022, we profiled Laurie Gaddis Barrett, a fearless Rhode Island mom who was making waves by challenging authority at every level:
For Barrett, fighting for parents’ rights has been transformative—and nearly a full-time job….Rhode Island parents are leading that nationwide trend: “There really is a growing movement of parents who are awake now,” Barrett recently testified. “We figured out what’s going on in these schools during distance learning and we’re not happy with the way that it’s going. … We heard these things and we started asking questions.” And then they mobilized.She describes parents like herself coming together in Rhode Island:
Parents … who just recently became aware of the state of things and are determined to make change at the local level. These are people that a year or even two years ago never went to a school committee meeting. And now they know all about Roberts Rules of Order. Now they know how to do a public records request. Now they know what changes they want to see, and they are determined to help shape those changes.
…. When Barrett isn’t busy with suing the government or staring down members of the state legislature, she’s at war on social media: Politicians, school board members, bureaucrats – all are in her crosshairs.
Recently, Barrett uncovered a legislative nugget that has gone viral, a bill introduced in the state Senate calling for (1) a vaccine mandate, and (2) a penalty for non-compliance to double state income tax imposed on violators age 16 or over. Seriously, we covered the story and how Barrett spread the word on April 20, 2022, Rhode Island Progressive Democrats Introduce Bill To Impose Double-Taxation On Unvaccinated.
Here is the key section of the bill, filed by Democrat Samuel W. Bell, joined by seven other progressive Democrat state senators
23-97-1. Immunization against COVID-19
6 (a) Every person of at least sixteen (16) years of age who is eligible for immunization
7 against COVID-19 and who resides in the State of Rhode Island, works in the State of Rhode Island,
8 or pays personal income taxes to the State of Rhode Island pursuant to chapter 30 of title 44 shall
9 be required to be immunized against COVID-19.
10 (b) Every resident of Rhode Island eligible for immunization against COVID-19 who is
11 under sixteen (16) years of age or under guardianship shall be required to be immunized against
12 COVID-19, with the responsibility for ensuring compliance falling on all parents or guardians with
13 medical consent powers pursuant to § 23-4.6-1.
* * *
21 (e) Any person who violates this chapter shall be required to pay a monthly civil penalty
22 of fifty dollars ($50.00) and shall owe twice the amount of personal income taxes as would
23 otherwise be assessed pursuant to chapter 30 of title 44. All employers must require proof of
24 compliance with this chapter for any employee employed in in-person work within the State of
25 Rhode Island. Employers may choose to waive proof of compliance with this chapter for purely
26 remote work. Any employer found to be knowingly in violation of this section for more than seven
27 (7) days shall be required to pay a monthly civil penalty of five thousand dollars ($5,000) for every
28 violation. [emphasis added]
Barrett appeared on the Tucker Carlson show tonight to talk about the story:
I couldn’t believe it. I never dreamed, never dreamed that I would find a bill like that introduced into the Rhode Island legislature. And as a matter of fact, the representatives that we spoke with later on told me that they had constituents calling them left and right to ask if it was real or if it was an internet hoax.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY
