Governor Signs Bill Blocking Bans on Circumcision

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that that will prevent local governments from banning male circumcision.

The governor's office announced Sunday that Brown had approved AB768, a bill written in response to a ballot measure proposed in San Francisco.

Backers of the ban had collected more than 7,700 signatures to put a measure on the November ballot in San Francisco to outlaw the circumcision of most male children.

The measure was later blocked by a judge.

Advocates of the ban had argued that circumcision is an unnecessary surgery that can lead to sexual and health problems later in life.

Those against the ban had said it is an important religious practice for many Jews and Muslims, and that it can reduce the risk of cancer and sexually transmitted diseases.