Drive fails to overturn teaching the accomplishments of gays

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

A coalition of churches and conservative groups says it has failed to collect enough signatures for a ballot measure aimed at undercutting a state law requiring school textbooks and history lessons to include the contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.

Backers of the initiative said that by Monday’s deadline, they had only 446,000 of the 500,000 valid signatures of registered voters needed to qualify the Children Learning Accurate Social Science (CLASS) Act for the 2014 ballot. The groups, relying on volunteer signature gatherers, had previously failed to collect enough signatures for a referendum on the state law.

‘This campaign was a struggle to protect the children of our state,’ said Kevin Snider, chief counsel to the Pacific Justice Institute and an author of the measure. ‘While the failure to gather the necessary signatures may be a disappointment, giving up on the most vulnerable members of our society would be unforgivable.’

The initiative was in response to SB 48, which took effect in January.

Those involved in the initiative drive included the Traditional Values Coalition, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and the Western Center for Law and Policy.

ALSO:

Liberatore ends recount bid in inland congressional race

Voters preferred mailbox to ballot box, secretary of state says

State lawmakers in D.C. for meetings on bullet train, other issues

--Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento