As California pushes for more residents to receive the COVID-19 jab, Democratic lawmakers introduced a series of new bills to achieve higher vaccination rates among Californians. However, critics are concerned that the laws will lead to infringement on individual freedom.
Assembly Bill 2098: Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell)
Low introduced the bill on Feb. 15 to deter licensed physicians and surgeons who spread COVID-19 misinformation. Under this law, any care provider caught promoting disinformation will be subject to disciplinary actions by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.
“The spread of misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 and vaccination continues to jeopardize public health,” Low wrote on Twitter on Feb. 15. “The spreading of inaccurate COVID-19 information further erodes public trust in the medical profession & puts all patients at risk.”
Some commenters immediately responded to Low on Twitter asking for further clarification, saying that the proposed legislation doesn’t have a clear definition of “misinformation” and can lead to the state’s health agency interfering with doctors’ judgment in medical practices.
“Who defines what constitutes misinformation?” a commenter wrote. “Would doctors not be allowed to form their own opinions from reviewing studies, data, and evidence?”
Senator Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) also wrote on Twitter the same day that the bill would “punish doctors if they dare [to] provide information to their patients that differs from the state narrative. So if you need medical advice, just ask the state medical board.”
Hellbound and Down 