Santa Monica May Be Next City To Place Circumcision Ban On Ballot

The Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported last week that on May 19, a proponent filed a Notice of Intent To Circulate Petition (full text) with the Santa Monica (CA) City Clerk's Office indicating that she plans to seek signatures for a ballot measure banning circumcision of males under 18.  The proposed measure is identical to the one that will appear on San Francisco's ballot in November. (See prior posting.) The measure specifically excludes any exception based on belief that circumcision "is required as a matter of custom or ritual." The language of this exclusion is apparently based on similar language in the Federal Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act of 1995 (18 USC 116(c)). [corrected]