Stand against tyranny

To the editor:

A new state board has arisen in Alaska to erode our freedom. At a public comment meeting on July 23, held in Anchorage by this new “Board of Massage Therapists,» I said, «Whenever any new state regulatory agency is imposed in a free society, you must show some overwhelming reason, why it is necessary to remove our freedom.»

I have never been shown any sufficient justification for imposition of this new regulatory board. I asked, «Where are the cases of people who have been seriously injured by massage therapists in Alaska?» In my 15 years of practice as a massage therapist, I said, «I have never heard of a single case of anyone seriously injured from a massage in Alaska!» That›s why malpractice insurance premiums for massage are only $99/year!

This new regulatory board is now increasing state license fees from $100 to over $600 and requiring people in rural areas travel thousands of miles away to formal «accredited» massage schools, and to get fingerprints, and to pass expensive Continuing Education Units, in order to obtain and renew a state massage license.

The problem is that Native Alaskans are taught massage as part of their traditional medicine, which has been passed down from their elders for 10,000 years. So, this requirement is insulting, disrespectful, and discriminatory to Native Alaskans, and it must not be tolerated. The amount of the license fee is not affordable to us who practice in small communities, like Willow, with few customers.

Is it, really, in the economic and social interests of the state of Alaska to put all rural and village massage therapists out of business? This board is now considering further requiring all massage therapists to pass some test, given in English, to get their license. What about the Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. immigrant massage therapists now working in Alaska, who cannot read and write English, and who got their diplomas and training in their respective native language? Is it in the best interests of the state of Alaska to put all these people out of business, just because they cannot pass some new written test in English? Is this the intent of this new board of massage therapists? Since, this would be highly discriminatory, one should expect a class-action lawsuit against the state of Alaska. People phoned in to the public comment session with comments in support for my position. Sen. Dunleavy has also expressed support for my position in an email response to me.

Please write to Senator.Mike.Dunleavy@akleg.gov and to your representatives, asking them to introduce legislation to repeal all new massage regulations under Title 12 AAC, in chapter 114, SLA 2014, which have arisen out of HB 328. That bill was pushed forward in 2014 by a special interest lobby. HB 328 was ill-conceived, and its new regulations and this new regulatory board must not be tolerated in Alaska, because they usher in tyranny and stand against our freedom.

Dan Russell

Willow