Governor Gavin Newsom Defends Action on New California Vaccine Law



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Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday defended his action on the new vaccine law, downplaying questions about why he asked for additional amendments to controversial legislation after agreeing to sign it.

Newsom said "that he felt we needed to clarify some additional points to help with the implementation."

"I am proud of the fact that I listened to my administration, listened to both sides of this debate, and supported the immunization bill because I felt it could be implemented effectively, "Newsom said. "And forgive me sincerely for reading the bill. Sometimes I have to wonder if people are reading things.

Senate Bill 276 will create physician control over vaccine exemptions issued by physicians in order to eliminate those that are given for non-medical reasons. The late Newsom changes, published in SB 714, have pushed back the deadline for the state to begin reviewing medical exemptions.

The governor, at his first press conference for over two weeks, responded with a categorical "no" when he was asked when he was aware of the existence of families or families. of friends having benefited from a medical exemption for the vaccines needed to go to school.

Newsom sometimes seemed frustrated with the series of questions and criticisms that he seemed to have made waves on the bill. He described concerns about his decision-making as a "novelty" and stated that he did not think that he would also be criticized for asking for late amendments to laws concerning others. Questions.

Newsom's signature on the invoices was made after legislators and advocates had asked questions about his changing position on vaccine proposals. The Governor first raised concerns about Senate Bill 276 in June, and his staff worked with Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), the author of the law, to limit the timing of the state would review immunization exemptions. Subsequently, Newsom is committed to signing the bill.

However, just after the Assembly passed SB 276, the Newsom bureau tweeted about its new "technical" concerns, taking Pan and his supporters by surprise. Amendments made following a series of new negotiations – to respond to Newsom's request to further narrow the scope of the bill – were included in a second bill, SB 714, both signed on September 9th.

Newsom held its last press conference on August 29, marking an unusually long break for a governor who had organized almost weekly events on various public policy topics.

The governor has not spoken much in the past two weeks, as the number of anti-vaccine protesters and their intensity increased on Capitol Hill. Tensions reached a critical point on Friday, when a woman sitting in the Senate visitors' gallery sprinkled senators with a red liquid that the California Highway Patrol later declared "seemed like blood" .

The woman, Rebecca Dalelio, 43, was arrested on charges of assault and vandalism. A voice in the crowd said that it was "for dead babies" while she was launching a menstrual cup filled with fluid. Legislators were unable to continue the proceedings in the historic chamber and completed their work in a nearby committee room. She is scheduled to appear in court in Sacramento on Tuesday.

Vaccine critics continued to interrupt the legislative sessions long after Newsom signed the two bills designed to strengthen state oversight of medical exemptions granted by doctors for medical reasons. They stood in front of his Capitol office and repeated several songs begging him, along with his wife, the first associate, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, to prevent the law from coming into effect.

Opponents of the law were invited at one point in the governor's office for a meeting with the highest officials. Some said they also met privately with Siebel Newsom's chief of staff. The governor's office refused to answer the question of whether Siebel Newsom held similar meetings. On Monday, Newsom refused to explain how his wife was involved in the process.

"Everyone has opinions," Newsom said. "I'll leave it there. I did what I needed to do to make it more effective and to ensure that it was applied effectively, and I am proud to have signed the bill. "

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