 Minnesota health officials say there are almost 70 confirmed cases of measles in the state so far this year and a state lawmaker is hoping to make it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children. DFL representative Mike Freeberg of Golden Valley hopes the ongoing measles outbreak will convince lawmakers to make changes. Freeberg's vaccine bill that would require parents to go over vaccine safety information with a doctor before opting out has repeatedly failed to gain support in the legislature and Minnesota natural health legal reform project president Leo Cashman says it's not a good thing. I think that there will be a huge amount of resistance to any attempt to curb the parents right to decide about vaccinations. We have the right to freedom of speech and we have the right to discuss and argue about these things but what good is freedom of speech and freedom of press if you don't have the right to act on the information you don't have the right to act on the research that you have uncovered on these issues the right to decide the right to make those medical decisions is just as fundamental to our freedom as the freedom to discuss these issues. Minnesota public radio reports that nearly 2,000 kindergartners weren't immunized against measles this year because their parents presented a notarized statement to avoid vaccination. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland public television.