California Governor Gavin Newsom agreed to sign legislation that tightens restrictions on medical exemptions that allow students to attend school without all the required vaccinations if lawmakers promise to pass revisions in a second bill.
The sex education recommendations are part of the state's overall health education framework approved by the board and have generated fierce opposition from conservative religious groups.
The Assembly Education Committee chaired by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, a former high school teacher, approved legislation that, among other things, would place a cap on charter schools in the state to approximately their current levels and deny the State Board of Education the ability to approve a charter application after being denied by a school district or county office of education.
A new bill proposed by state Sen. Nancy Skinner would ban out-of-school suspensions in all grades for student behavior deemed “defiant and disruptive” by school authorities. Advocates hopeful Gov. Newsom will be more receptive than Jerry Brown, who vetoed two previous bills.
