In a surprising move, California officials are set to repeal the contentious “Covid-19 medical misinformation” law, AB 2098, which previously threatened the licenses of doctors challenging the mainstream narrative and so-called “scientific consensus” on various medical topics.
This law was championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and implemented last year.
Five physicians, namely Tracy Hoeg, Ram Duriseti, Aaron Kheriaty, Pete Mazolewski, and Azadeh Khatibi, challenged the law’s constitutionality, Zerohedge reports.
They contended that it restricted their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
These doctors argued that the legislation hindered them from offering potentially counter-mainstream advice to their patients and claimed it was a tool to target and penalize medical professionals with differing perspectives on COVID-19.
In the midst of the escalating legal dispute, a repeal provision was unexpectedly included in Senate Bill 815, a bill focusing on modifications to the California Medical Board.
Jenin Younes and Laura Powell, representing some of the challenging doctors, expressed their shock regarding the sudden inclusion of the repeal clause.
“It’s incredibly last minute,” Powell highlighted, further noting the absence of room for “public input and debate.”
She mentioned, “Thursday is the last day to vote on bills, and it has to be passed by both chambers.”
Addressing the next course of action, Younes stated, “We are considering next steps,” adding, “We are unlikely to move for dismissal at this time, certainly not until repeal is complete.”
According to records, the Assembly Appropriations Committee briefly discussed the repeal in SB 815 during a Sep 1 hearing.
However, there was no mention in the bill analysis from Aug 21.
Furthermore, during its Aug 24 meeting, the Medical Board remained silent on the matter.
This provision was first documented in the Sep 5 rendition of the bill and is still present in the recent Sep 11 version.
Curiously, despite the significant changes, the reason behind the inclusion of the repeal provision remains undisclosed.
SB 815’s Senate sponsor and the Assembly principal coauthor haven’t provided any insights into the decision’s background.
