For over a year, I have been writing and commenting on California’s unconstitutional Covid gag law for physicians and other medical professionals. The law allowing the revocation of licenses for “false or misleading information” on Covid-19 was a frontal attack on free speech. Nevertheless, many lawyers supported the law and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it. Now Newsom has quietly signed the repeal of the law after it was headed for an almost certain rejection by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. All of the supporters of the law seem to be shrugging and moving on after the waste of money and time on a facially unconstitutional law.
The bill authorized the state’s medical board to revoke the licenses of any medical professional if they “disseminate misinformation or disinformation related to COVID-19, including false or misleading information regarding the nature and risks of the virus, its prevention and treatment; and the development, safety, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine.”
Judge Fred Slaughter (C.D. Cal.) in McDonald v. Lawson held that this statute was likely constitutional and rejected a motion for a preliminary injunction. I disagreed with Slaughter. Then, Judge William Shubb (E.D. Cal.) reached the opposite conclusion in Hoeg v. Newsom, granting an injunction.
The reception by the Ninth Circuit was chilly for the state.
Newsom’s office did not respond to inquiries.
The law was enacted despite the fact that many doctors who questioned aspects of Covid treatment (and were attacked for their views) have been largely vindicated. Among the suspended from social media were the doctors who co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for a more focused Covid response that targeted the most vulnerable population rather than widespread lockdowns and mandates. Many are now questioning the efficacy and cost of the massive lockdowns as well as the real value of masks or the rejection of natural immunities as an alternative to vaccination. Yet, these experts and others were attacked for such views just a year ago. Some found themselves censored on social media for challenging claims of Dr. Fauci and others.
As the prior “consensus” over the efficacy of masks or other Covid measures was being placed in greater doubt, California moved to make future dissenters even less likely by threatening their licenses. While the law only limits comments to patients, it sends a chilling message to physicians to toe the line on Covid statements.
Newsom was heralded for his signing of the law that he just repealed.
The bill was part of a push by Democrats to censor or ban opposing views on subjects ranging from Covid to climate change to elections.
The legislators slipped the repeal into a new bill and none of the sponsors who supported the original bill could be found for comment. The greatest disgrace, however, falls on the California Medical Association which supported the original bill over objections from doctors and legal analysts like myself. The CMA leadership was also silent over its effort to gag or censor doctors with opposing views in violation of the First Amendment.
This is a completely fraudulent website, similar to the ABC and Mother Jones and the New York Times and Townhall websites, and many many other websites across the full spectrum of political ideology.
What makes this website worse than ALL of the others is Turley’s public stance claiming to be a free speech advocate while operating a trolll-infested disinformation, defamation, and censorship operation.
And you are free to move on to greener pastures.
Yet, you visit here, read the articles and the comments? ROTFLMAO!
My posts get deleted from time to time. No big deal. We know what you think, so you needn’t worry about your message getting to us. We laugh at you and discredit all those things you want undeleted, so allowing it to be posted it really is a waste of time. However, if you were to leave, there would be far fewer troll accounts, disinformation, defamation, and censorship needed.
LOL — You and Turley’s other attack dogs are just more proof that this garbage site is a total fraud.
If you hate the site then just leave, that is what we do to CNN and MSNBC. Of course leftist fascists can’t be happy with people having a choice about what to read, watch and listen to.
Gruesome-Newsome has been so emboldened in California by the Stuck-on-Stupid voters there that he & the state government can & will pass any foolish “rules to live by.” In increasing unchecked, & unconstitutional fashion.
This California miscreant even survived a solid recall effort. Whoa betide us if he jumps in the Presidential race…
A recall in a communist state under the “dictatorship of the hired help?”
Yea upstate, why do you always insist on believing your lying eyes??
Very true, WhimsicalMama. Millions of illegal migrants have flooded into what used-to-be our cities. Can’t hide that now.
The Left carps about the environment, but how does flooding the country with more poverty, congestion, and crime help the environment? How does it help if America someday becomes 600 million mostly impoverished “un-citizens?” How does it help if the rest of America starts to resemble the dual economy of California? Are Latin America and the Middle East really paragons of environmental rectitude? Is Asia?
I’m not seeing any philosophical consistency here. IMHO–the world being what it is–environmentalism starts at the border.
Jonathan
Allow me to post here, a response to Dennis on his free speech on campus tirade.
“If you are anti-what Dennis defines as truth, what reception do you expect to receive”
Fixed that for ya
“If they shrink from speaking out is that the fault of those who don’t agree with them?”
You’re doggone tootin’ it is! What a moronic question. Why would someone “shrink” Dennis? Because they cant possibly believe what they are saying? Are you that out of touch?
Were blacks “shrinking” without reason before MLK? Were gays shrinking without cause in the 70’s? Speak out and suffer the consequences?? Do I need to remind you what those consequences are? Much easier to find a job somewhere else.
Why dont you ask Riley Gaines how safe she feels these days, for simply asking not to have to compete against and share a shower with a 6 foot 4, 215 pound dude that thinks he’s a woman?
It must be nice to feel so safe in your little echo chamber. But i recall when u stepped out of it and shrank like a banana peel in the sun when you went to lunch and saw big guy in cowboy hat. Why didnt you confront that gun totin’ redneck Dennis, and fill him full of your “wild wild west” theories? That was your big chance to make a real difference in the fight to end gun madness and you ran way like a schoolgirl.
If i am attending university, i couldnt care less if my English Lit professor is part of the climate cult. If he is gay, I dont care. If he puts on womens clothes and lipstick at night why would i give a rats behind? If he has all 18 of his Covid boosters, why does that matter to me, even if i think he’s a fool. And THAT is the difference between the intolerant modern marxist and a proper conservative.
YOU people created the modern university student using those same methods. Conform, or there will be consequences. It was NO ACCIDENT, and it didn’t happen generically. Its straight from the playbook. The next step was to repeat the indoctrination in primary education, but thats not so easy. Now you’re having to deal with adults who wont have it. So you resort to turning the govt on them. Wont work. Cant work. “Our ‘democracy’ is at stake”
What is not commonly known is when a doctor has their license challenged, they pay for the investigation, defense and prosecution win or lose. Additionally, the prosecution typically charges 4 to 5 times the cost of the defense to “encourage” taking a plea before the costs get insane.
This is a sign that Newsom has presidential plans and wants to appear to be fair minded. This man is anything but that. Independent Bob.
My question is, how many people know about any of this? The media don’t/won’t report on this.
Off Topic, but needs to be said:
After Hamas attacked Israel with a massive missile attack as well as an outright invasion we have heard from the head of France, Germany and England, but Biden has not made an appearance yet???
Remember the discussion about who you want taking the phone call at 3:00AM? Well we now have a president that can’t make a cogent statement before 10:00…if at all.
PS. Glad Biden just gave Iran, the backers of Hamas, 6 billion dollars with which to use to support their deadly agenda. Obama loved Iran, Biden is staffed with Obama holdovers and other left wing lunatics that never say a negative word about Iran or China.
When they thought it was popular to issue their gag orders they couldn’t wait to gain more control. Now that they are reading the tea leaves that say that the American people are realizing that they were wrong on masks and shut downs they are slowly trying to erase the history of their thought control. They are doing the same thing with their defund the police history. Are they really seeing the light or are they changing their tune as 2024 is on the near horizon? If you believe their “My Bad” your a fool and you deserve your fate.
What is with the far-right, they want so much to be able to lie, deceive and spread misinformation and call it “free speech.” So when so-called doctors call for some wacked-out cure and people do it, and die or are inured it’s free speech? That really did happen with covid and all kinds of snake-oil they sold…..But at least the doctors have free speech right?
Or maybe we can squash the great barrington declaration, and people will die and our economy be destroyed because we didnt listen. Or maybe we squash the laptop story, and a brain dead, corrupt, manchurian candidate gets the oval office.
Good point Squealer, Napolean would be proud.
You must feel right at home in the National Socialist Workers Party.
“So when so-called doctors call for some wacked-out cure and people do it, and die or are inured it’s free speech?”
Yes, now go away. But make sure you take your 18th jab, or whatever pfizer/moderna (who own the FDA now) tell you to do, genius. Make sure you buy some clean PV panels and an electric car, too while you are being a good loyal consumer of propaganda.
Pathetic.
It is chilling that democrats know their actions are unconstitutional and yet proceed with them anyway. But then we have known of their long disregard for the Constitution ever since Woodrow Wilson.
It was politically congruent (“=”), but the integrated dysphoria is progressive, and therefore not viable, so it mandated abortion… cancelation.
The 9th Circuit should decide the appeal on the merits, even though the case is now technically moot. This will recur because, as whimsicalmama points out below, the repeal is little more than a chess move to gain support for 2024, after which a new law will be passed to similar effect. So the 9th circuit’s decision is needed to resolve the split between the district courts.
Shame on Newsom. Shame on CMA. Where was the AMA?
The National Socialist Democrat WOKE Party aka American NAZIS.
Nothing but CHAOS for 2024.
At no time in history have Marxist left power voluntarily. We won’t vote are way out.
They continually attack the Bill of Rights especially the 1st and 2nd Amendment. Ask your self why? You are responsible for your safety and your families. NO ONE is coming to save you.
I have serious doubts we will have elections in 2024 as does Economist Martin Armstrong and Colonel (Retired Army) Douglas Macgregor. Do your own research.
Democrats are just wasting the public’s time and money with these laws they know are unconstitutional. The money should come out of their campaign funds, because that’s the reason they’re putting on this public show — to impress their base and publicize their “progressive” agenda.
I suppose there is not a legal consequence to the perpetrators, in this the state of California. Is there a away for the victims to be made whole other than the election cycle?
Those damaged should be able to sue the state for harm. Newsom knew exactly what he was doing was an illegal hit and run. And he got away with it.
Gavin Newsom and his censorship cabal will quietly reintroduce a new version of the law during the next legislative with a more euphemistic sounding name. Or he could take a page out of New Mexico Governor Lujan-Grisham’s playbook and simply declare a “Public Health Emergency”. Might work in California ???
I do sense that some Dems see the writing on the wall and are attempting to pull their party back towards center. If we are smart, we realize that this is just a feint until after 2024 and then, if they do win, it will be another hard turn to the left – only this time with a vengeance to achieve all that they want within the 4 years allotted to them by a brainwashed, bought and paid for public
This comment nails it. It really has become that obvious.
Any support for the dems is simply support for authoritarianism across the US and more war across the globe (as the dems are in league with the pub Swampsters, like Lil’ lindsey graham). Disgusting, simply disgusting.
What I find even more troubling is the fact that we know this yet, according to a recent poll, there are more registered dem voters than republicans and that does not bode well for us. Demographically the right is losing the war and will need to truly step up to make this prog/left monstrosity disappear from our shores. If we don’t, hillary’s call for our “formal re-education” will become a reality. This sad situation I blame firstly, on those who keep sending the same sad rinos to congress and those same dullards who do not prevent the election of prog/left politicians at the state and local level where real damage is being done. Only conservatives and those on the right can step up and solve this and if we don’t we will have our children live to regret that fact.
Whimsicalmama, Neil,
My sister, registered Democrat, recently visited and we had several long conversations about the upcoming election, various issues.
She is what I would call a sane Democrat, along with Bill Maher, Elon Musk, James Carville, and the good professor.
Of her 100 Democrat friends, only like 5 held woke leftist views with one even telling her, her thinking was wrong.
As we see here on the good professor’s blog daily, it is the loud woke leftists that make the most noise. But they do not represent the silent, sane majority of Democrats. The sane Democrats do not want anything to do with the woke leftists.
Problem is, will the sane Democrats stand up to the woke bullies? Or just get steamed rolled into going along and enabling the woke leftists to their “we must destroy democracy in order to save it!” (and install our one party rule, re-education camps, we are coming for your children as the state knows better than you, the parent)
Upstatefarmer, ask yourself the same question you ask us, are sane republicans coming to grips what the Trump cult has done to the republican party? I know a lot of republicans and they are not happy with the cult calling the shots. And your understanding of “woke” is just….nonsense. Pure FOXNEWS bullsh*t.
What Trump policy do you have a problem with? Come on, or STFU. Debate the policies – you won’t because we will bit%&slap you into embarrassment, so you do what the entire wannabe authoritarians and warmongers do – you attack Trump’s persona. It’s boring, lame, and transparent.
Woke, affirmative action, and racism is BS. Democrats have ruined generations of blacks by the millions, wer laugh at the dems’ belief that somehow whitey is responsible for baltimore, detroit, memphis…you name it. YOU are pure bullsh*t. You are a wannabe authoritarian warmonger, KMA.
It is not what Trump has done to the Republican party.
It is what the Republican party has done or not done for the people they claim to represent. That is why the people have left the Republican party for Trump. Trump’s MAGA policies represent many Republican voters points of view or their priorities. America First. 1stA, 2ndA. Limited government. A secure Southern border. Law and order. etc.
And that is what is supposed to happen when a party no longer holds the interest of the people. When the party no longer represent them.
Kevin Costner once wore a tee-shirt that read, “Nation before party.” He was right, just not the way he thought he was.
So, now the Republican party can either change to represent their voters and what voters priorities are, or the party loses. Maybe another party emerges to replace them. As it should be.
I am perfectly fine with that.
My understanding of woke is perfectly accurate.
BTW, as I have stated many times here on the good professor’s blog, I do not watch Fox News. Never have. I cut cable over a decade ago. I get my news from Independent news like Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss and her The Free Press (paid subscriber) and others. Those sources and woke leftists like those who pollute the good professor’s blog have informed me as to what wokeism is.
And I thank you for it.
I don’t watch FOX, I am an historian by education and I find my information on current events through a variety of sources. And as far as Trump, he was not the leader of a cult, he saw a movement of conservative republicans not being served by comfortable grifting rinos and he opted to take the leadership of that group of angry conservatives because no real republicans could see the growing dissatisfaction on the right and take up that leadership role. Woke is an anthropological phenomenon manufactured as a tool to enervate various minorities for the sole purpose of sowing discord and cultural discontent. There is no rationale for it other than as a social tool utilized by the far left to get votes and disrupt western culture. As an historian I know that no culture can be replace without first destroying the original culture by economic, social and institutional ruin. If you think woke is BS then you are willfully ignorant of just what it entails, but from your comment above, I would say that this is the case, you do not want to admit what woke is for whatever reason. Time will tell what is correct but the current trajectory of blue governments is atrociously failing as is that second failed anthropological experiment cooked up in academia of the 50’s and 60’s called “The Great Society” that has promoted the gradual decline of this nation into a cesspool of parasites (not only those getting the free stuff but the armies of bureaucrats making generous compensation implementing these failed initiatives) and grifters with a lack of a strong moral code and a “live for the day to make myself happy” attitude. Our first major mistake of the 20th century was electing FDR who ushered in the notion of socialism as a cure for everything and now we are on the brink of societal collapse.
@Upstate
That’s always my question, too – will ‘sane’ dems’ insist on something better? So far in my experience, the answer is, ‘No.’. I can have private conversations like that with some people, but they are too chicken to buck the trend publicly. I guess time will tell, but time is getting short.
And that is our main problem, where do the “sane” democrats cast their votes. Our nation needs these democrats to reject the current democrat party and either withhold their votes or vote for the republican for 2-3 election cycles to clear out the trash now in control of their party. Surely these “sane” democrats must understand that with every dem vote they are enabling the destruction of things that even they hold dear. I cannot wrap my head around such obstinate insanity on their part. There is no rational excuse for what they are doing by continuing to vote democrat at this point and they need their feet held to the fire until they admit this.