Former Assemblyman, current talk radio host and tea party member Tim Donally has filed a referendum in California to overturn Senate Bill 277.
The bill, signed by Governor Brown on Tuesday, removes the personal belief exemption for immunization of children entering public and private schools. The bill would take effect in 2016 covering the 2016-2017 school year.
The referendum would need 365,880 signatures to get onto the 2016 ballot.
June polling in California showed overwhelming support for mandatory children's vaccines in school aged children;
Support: 65%
Oppose: 32%
Unsure: 3%
source, p. 13 [pdf]
In listening to his radio show today, I heard Donnally say he had vaccinated his own children. For Donnally, this appears to be strictly a matter of politics.
Donnally has a lot of political and ideological baggage he tows around with him including having started the California Minutemen group to patrol the California/Mexico border. Donnally was also caught by TSA screeners trying to get a loaded weapon onto a plane in his carry-on bag later stating he forgot it was in the bag. He has also targeted Dreamers with visceral attacks as well as his "Stop The Dream Act" which failed to get on the ballot in 2012.
While running for California governor against fellow Republican Neel KashKari in the 2014 jungle primary, Donnally hurled some hair-on-fire shariah accusations against Kashkari who is Hindu and of Indian descent resulting in some real entertainment from fellow republicans:
“It’s yet another reminder that he is our very own Todd Akin, and will similarly destroy the Republican Party in California.” --Aaron McLear, Kashkarian advisor source
"As far as I'm concerned, this type of stupidity disqualifies Tim Donnelly from being fit to hold any office, anywhere." ... Rep. Darrell Issa, source
The interesting thing about the passionate, if wrong-headed, anti-vaccine movement in California is that it pulls strands from about every political philosophy and movement. I think that's exactly what Donnally is looking for.