A series of reports from The Associated Press takes issue with the more than 420 “anti-science” bills introduced in state legislatures across the US. The articles accuse MAHA advocates of “finding ways” to profit from the legislation, but reporters fail to mention the $293.7 million spent on lobbying by Big Pharma in one year alone.

So-called Cody’s Law has “evolved from the proposed state law … into a joint effort between state and federal organisations and politicians working together … to bring a national solution for the severely vaccine-injured to get medical care at the time of injury.”

However, Heather Hudson – whose son sustained terminal vaccine injuries in 2021, advocated in favour of Cody’s Law – Florida legislation that would expedite the process for vaccine injury claims under the Medicare, Medicaid and Medicaid Medically Needy programmes – said this effort has received “critical support” from lawmakers.

Sayer Ji, chairman of the Global Wellness Forum and founder of GreenMedInfo, said AP reporters Michelle R. Smith contacted him on October 9.

In a Substack post, Ji said Smith’s request was “disturbing,” as it included questions about his home address and property value, and “accusatory” questions about his support for “a bill that bans chemtrails” and whether he received compensation for his work with MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Action.

“Since the late 20th century, mainstream media has been highly critical of the vaccine safety and informed consent movement,” Fisher said. “When the vaccine choice movement gained more traction, mainstream media journalists have been schizophrenic about how they describe those who criticise the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and oppose compulsory vaccination policy and laws.”

The AP also reported finding more than 70 bills that would reduce access to fluoride or make it easier to sell or consume raw milk products. Utah and Florida banned fluoride in public drinking water earlier this year.

The AP cited unnamed experts who said fluoride not only prevents tooth decay but also helps prevent other problems, including heart issues. However, the AP reports didn’t mention a federal court ruling last year that found water fluoridation at current US levels poses an “unreasonable risk” of lowering children’s IQ.

The AP reports also claimed that raw milk continues to cause illness, including one outbreak in Florida that sickened 21 people in August.

According to the AP, the Weston A. Price Foundation, which promotes “restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet,” has led efforts to legalise raw milk in several states.

Sally Fallon Morrell, president of the foundation, disagreed with AP’s allegations that raw milk is dangerous. “The science is on our side,” she told The Defender. “The evidence is overwhelming that vaccines cause harm and that the benefits of raw milk greatly outweigh the minuscule risks.”

CHD, Stand for Health Freedom and MAHA Action are among the organisations that “went after vaccines, fluoride and other parts of the MAHA agenda,” including efforts to ban fluoride in drinking water, according to AP.

Their efforts place the public at risk, according to the AP. “Vaccination rates continue to fall, allowing the infectious diseases measles and whooping cough to make comebacks as Kennedy has sought to broadly remake federal policies on public health matters including fluoride and vaccines,” it said.

Research scientist and author James Lyons-Weiler said the AP “is using emotional anecdotes” instead of engaging in “balanced reporting.” Ji said the AP’s “anti-science” characterisation is “the exact inversion of reality.” He added:

“These bills are fundamentally pro-science and pro-transparency. They invite open debate, informed consent and public access to the evidence behind policies that have, for too long, been enforced without adequate scrutiny. Calling that ‘anti-science’ reveals more about the AP’s editorial bias than about the content of the legislation itself.”

Leah Wilson, executive director and co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom, said, “Calling legislation ‘anti-science’ is an outdated tactic. We’ve entered an era where it’s clear there isn’t one single, government-approved body of science.”

The AP accused organisations like CHD and Stand for Health Freedom of reflecting “the small anti-vaccine movement’s growing clout.” But Ji said AP’s characterisation is contradictory and inaccurate. He added:

“The contradiction in the AP’s framing – calling the movement both ‘small’ and ‘powerful’ – is telling. If it were truly fringe, there would be no need for such aggressive coverage.

“The reality is that millions of Americans are now awake to the overreach of public health bureaucracies and the dangers of captured institutions. That’s why state-level reform is gaining traction, across party lines.”

Ji noted that the AP targeted specific organisations instead of the lawmakers proposing the legislation. This “reflects a broader strategy” to “delegitimise the grassroots,” he said.

“It’s easier to smear citizen-led movements than to admit that public opinion is shifting,” Ji said. “Lawmakers are responding to legitimate constituent concerns. MAHA and its allies simply provide research, coordination and vision.”

In its reports, AP quoted several state lawmakers, most of whom expressed their opposition to the MAHA agenda and suggested that MAHA is spreading “conspiracy theories” and “misinformation.”

Lyons-Weiler said the critical comments are from lawmakers who supported “the failed centralised paradigm that brought about the revolutionary reform that is taking place right now.”

Ji agreed, saying, “True science is a process of continuous questioning, testing and re-evaluation — not an instrument of censorship or control. When laws seek to protect parental rights, bodily sovereignty or informed consent, they are not rejecting science — they are demanding it.”

Wilson said the AP is attempting to improperly influence parental decision-making. “Patients and parents deserve informed, compassionate care, not emotional manipulation and crushing pressure to control something that they simply cannot control,” she said.

• A Tell Media report / By Michael Nevradakis, a senior reporter for The Defender and host of The Defender In-Depth television show