Michael Hiltzik: The right wing gets its knives out for California's new medical misinformation law
Painfully aware of how attacks on COVID vaccines and anti-pandemic policies have undermined public health, California enacted a law this year that makes spreading medical misinformation and disinformation about the pandemic grounds for revoking a doctor's license.
Unsurprisingly, the anti-vaccination and COVID-minimizing crowds have taken arms against the law, which is known as AB 2098 and is set to take effect on Jan. 1.
The law states explicitly that "the dissemination of misinformation or disinformation" related to COVID-19 or COVID vaccines ranks as unprofessional conduct. That makes such conduct subject to discipline by the California Medical Board, up to and including license revocation.
Two lawsuits challenging the law have been filed in federal courts in California so far.
The plaintiffs in these cases depict them as a straightforward efforts to protect their right of free
