{"id":515481,"date":"2022-11-24T23:21:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T20:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/californias-perilous-bid-to-censor-your-doctors-advice\/"},"modified":"2022-11-24T23:21:46","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T20:21:46","slug":"californias-perilous-bid-to-censor-your-doctors-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/californias-perilous-bid-to-censor-your-doctors-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"#California&#8217;s perilous bid to censor your doctor&#8217;s advice"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23d51dea722\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23d51dea722\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/californias-perilous-bid-to-censor-your-doctors-advice\/#%E2%80%9CCalifornias_perilous_bid_to_censor_your_doctors_advice%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;California&#8217;s perilous bid to censor your doctor&#8217;s advice&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CCalifornias_perilous_bid_to_censor_your_doctors_advice%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;California&#8217;s perilous bid to censor your doctor&#8217;s advice&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), which Columbia legal scholar Philip Hamburger founded in 2017, cheekily\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/news\/david-lesh-appeals-conviction-federal-trespassing-civil-rights-14903554\">describes itself<\/a>\u00a0as \u201ca civil libertarian alternative to the ACLU that actually cares about the rights in the Constitution.\u201d It therefore may seem surprising that two California chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union have\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/11\/15\/the-aclu-says-californias-ban-on-covid-19-misinformation-from-doctors-is-gratuitous-and-unconstitutional\/\">joined<\/a>\u00a0the NCLA in opposing a new California law that expands the state medical board\u2019s authority to discipline doctors for \u201cunprofessional conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That alliance is less surprising once you read\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2098\">AB 2098<\/a>, which threatens to punish physicians for sharing COVID-19 \u201cmisinformation\u201d with their patients. The law, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, defines \u201cmisinformation\u201d as advice \u201ccontradicted by contemporary scientific consensus\u201d \u2014 an open invitation to suppression of constitutionally protected speech.<\/p>\n<p>In a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nclalegal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Hoeg-v.-Newsom_Complaint_Final-1.pdf\">federal lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0it filed this month on behalf of five California physicians, the NCLA\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/11\/03\/doctors-say-a-california-law-targeting-clinicians-who-share-covid-19-misinformation-is-unconstitutional\/\">argues<\/a>\u00a0that AB 2098 is unconstitutionally vague and inconsistent with the First Amendment. The Justice Legal Center (JLC), which is representing two other doctors, makes similar claims in a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/libertyjusticecenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2022-10-04-McDonald-v-Lawson-Complaint.pdf\">lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0it filed last month.<\/p>\n<p>The Southern and Northern California chapters of the ACLU concur in a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclunc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/60-1%20-%20Proposed%20ACLU%20Amici%20Brief.pdf\">brief<\/a>\u00a0they recently filed in support of the JLC\u2019s lawsuit. They say AB 2908, which the JLC calls the \u201cPhysician Censorship Law,\u201d is gratuitous and unconstitutional.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/aclu-06.jpeg?w=1024\" alt=\"The Southern and Northern California chapters of the ACLU concur in a\u00a0brief\u00a0they recently filed in support of the JLC\u2019s lawsuit. They say AB 2908, which the JLC calls the \u201cPhysician Censorship Law,\u201d is gratuitous and unconstitutional.\" class=\"wp-image-24778729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/aclu-06.jpeg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/aclu-06.jpeg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/aclu-06.jpeg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The Southern and Northern California chapters of the ACLU concur in a\u00a0brief\u00a0they recently filed in support of the JLC\u2019s lawsuit. They say AB 2908, which the JLC calls the \u201cPhysician Censorship Law,\u201d is gratuitous and unconstitutional.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Legislators who supported AB 2908 said they were worried that doctors might prescribe ineffective and potentially dangerous treatments for COVID-19. But\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ca\/business-and-professions-code\/bpc-sect-2234\/\">existing regulations<\/a>\u00a0already give California\u2019s medical board the authority to take action against doctors for \u201cgross negligence,\u201d \u201crepeated negligent acts,\u201d \u201cincompetence,\u201d and \u201cany act involving dishonesty or corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>California courts \u201chave long interpreted the types of conduct the Legislature was concerned about \u2014 such as failing to provide patients with sufficient information to make informed health choices, committing medical fraud, and providing patients with medically in<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate treatment \u2014 as falling under\u201d that rule, the ACLU brief notes. \u201cIndeed, when considering AB 2098, the Legislature acknowledged that the [medical board] was\u00a0<em>\u2018already fully capable<\/em>\u00a0of bringing an accusation against a physician for this type of misconduct.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>The new law, by contrast, makes physicians subject to discipline for sharing their honest opinions regarding COVID-19 if the medical board thinks they deviate from the \u201cscientific consensus,\u201d a term the law does not define. That nebulous standard poses a due process problem, since the law does not give doctors fair notice of which conduct it reaches. It also poses a free speech problem, since it encourages self-censorship.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"691\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/doctor-covid-02.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"That alliance is less surprising once you read\u00a0AB 2098, which threatens to punish physicians for sharing COVID-19 &quot;misinformation&quot; with their patients.\" class=\"wp-image-24778747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/doctor-covid-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/doctor-covid-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/doctor-covid-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>That alliance is less surprising once you read\u00a0AB 2098, which threatens to punish physicians for sharing COVID-19 \u201cmisinformation\u201d with their patients.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Given the \u201cambiguities\u201d inherent in the state\u2019s new definition of unprofessional conduct, the ACLU brief says, \u201cphysicians will be loath to speak their minds and share their opinions with patients about a rapidly evolving disease with many unknowns. At any point, the State could determine that a physician has violated AB 2098 [by] sharing an unconventional opinion and go after their medical license.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While some unconventional opinions may amount to quackery, others may ultimately be vindicated. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conventional wisdom on subjects such as\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/11\/03\/doctors-say-a-california-law-targeting-clinicians-who-share-covid-19-misinformation-is-unconstitutional\/\">intubation of patients<\/a>, the utility of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/01\/19\/the-cdc-is-finally-acknowledging-that-n95-respirators-work-better-than-cloth-masks\/\">cloth face masks<\/a>,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/01\/03\/its-covid-year-3-and-the-cdc-is-still-confused-and-confusing\/\">isolation periods<\/a>, and the effectiveness of vaccines in\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2021\/08\/04\/the-evidence-cited-by-the-cdc-does-not-show-that-vaccinated-and-unvaccinated-covid-19-carriers-are-equally-likely-to-transmit-the-virus\/\">preventing virus transmission<\/a>\u00a0has shifted repeatedly in response to emerging evidence.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to violating doctors\u2019 freedom of speech, AB 2098 undermines that\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/04\/03\/against-scientific-gatekeeping\/\">discovery process<\/a>. It tells skeptical physicians to keep their mouths shut, lest they endanger their licenses and livelihoods by candidly sharing their opinions.<\/p>\n<p>When he signed AB 2098 into law at the end of September, California Gov. Gavin <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>om\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AB2098-signing-message.pdf?emrc=8a349e\">acknowledged<\/a>\u00a0that legislative responses to COVID-19 \u201cmisinformation\u201d could have a \u201cchilling effect\u201d on conversations between physicians and patients. But he claimed the bill was \u201cnarrowly tailored\u201d to cover doctors \u201cacting with malicious intent\u201d or \u201cclearly deviating from the required standard of care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If that were true, the law would be redundant. But, contrary to Newsom\u2019s wishful thinking, the law will be enforced as written, and that prospect should alarm anyone who actually cares about the rights in the Constitution.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>: @jacobsullum<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/11\/24\/californias-perilous-bid-to-censor-your-doctors-advice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;California&#8217;s perilous bid to censor your doctor&#8217;s advice&#8221; The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), which Columbia legal scholar Philip Hamburger founded in 2017, cheekily\u00a0describes itself\u00a0as \u201ca civil libertarian alternative to the ACLU that actually cares about the rights in the Constitution.\u201d It therefore may seem surprising that two California chapters of the American Civil Liberties&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":515482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/feat-doctor-covid-01.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[136139,13096,32128,1545,2243,73816,85776],"class_list":["post-515481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-24-22","tag-california","tag-censorship","tag-coronavirus","tag-doctors","tag-free-speech","tag-medical-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=515481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/515482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=515481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=515481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=515481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}