Some California parents just don’t want to be required to have their children receive vaccinations against disease, and they’re now hoping you’ll vote with them if they can get their anti-vaccination measure on the ballot.
Those opponents of the recently signed law requiring almost all school children in California to be vaccinated against diseases such as measles and whooping cough have just gotten the OK from state officials to begin gathering referendum signatures. If they are able to collect enough signatures, the measure to overturn the newly enacted vaccination law will go before the voters.
“This referendum is not about vaccinations; it is about defending the fundamental freedom of a parent to make an informed decisions for their children without being unduly penalized by a government that believes it knows best,” said former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, the referendum’s proponent.
Valid signatures from 365,880 registered voters — 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2014 general election — must be submitted by Sept. 28 to qualify the measure for the November 2016 ballot, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla. He announced approval for the signature-gathering effort Tuesday.
If the attempt to overturn the vaccination law qualifies for the ballot, the law’s provisions would be suspended until the vote.
The bill, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on June 30, eliminates vaccination exemptions based on religious or personal beliefs. It will require all children entering kindergarten to be vaccinated unless a doctor certifies that a child has a medical condition, such as allergies, preventing it.
The legislation was prompted in part by an outbreak of measles traced to Disneyland that began in late December and ultimately spread to more than 130 people across the state. Cases were also reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah and Washington state.
“As a mother, I understand that the decisions we make about our children’s health care are deeply personal and I respect the fundamental right to make medical decisions as a family,” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, said on June 25 when SB 277 was approved by the Assembly.
“However, none of us has the right to endanger others. SB 277 strikes the right balance of ensuring informed, thoughtful medical decisions between a family and their doctor and the rights of all our school children to attend school without fear of contracting a potentially fatal, vaccine-preventable disease.”
—Staff and wire reports