CA Dems Unite Against Circumcision Bans

Ariela Fleisig — October 3, 2011 – 11:44 am | Democrats | Separation of Church & State Comments (1) Add a comment

California Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA) signed a bill prohibiting local governments from banning male circumcision, his office announced yesterday.

The bill, introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Mike Gatto, is meant to complement a similar bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA). Gatto said:

To enact an outright ban on an expression of personal, medical, and religious freedom is an affront to me and a majority of Californians… Such municipal measures are an improper, frivolous use of the initiative process, and would result in a confusing patchwork of regulations across the state that would leave many Californians feeling unwelcome in certain cities.

Democratic Assemblymember Fiona Ma, a joint-author of the bill, explained her opposition to circumcision bans:

California cannot have a patchwork of extreme local laws that criminalize doctors for performing medical procedures. There are plenty of things that are against the law. And it takes all our resources to enforce those laws. It seems that making circumcision a crime is foolish, unenforceable, and a violation of religious and parental freedoms.

Click here to read a JTA article on the bill’s signing.

 

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