Jews, Muslims and their allies cheered Sunday (Oct. 2) as California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill prohibiting all local bans on circumcision, making it illegal for local authorities to restrict the medical or religious practice.
Anti-circumcision activists had gathered enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot in San Francisco. Voters would have been asked to decide if infant circumcision should be banned as an unnecessary genital mutilation, a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
Interesting note that an anti-circumcision effort in San Diego failed when it became associated with anti-semitism. My experiencee with anti-circumcision fanatics is that many of them are anti-semites and frequently very opposed to religion in general. It is hard to listen to their rants with much sympathy, but I have also found that sometimes there is an abusive parent in the family history. Your Mileage May Vary.