Calif. conservatives: Fight against school indoctrination law not over yet

Save Our Kids Campaign announced they were more than 80,000 signatures short at the January 10 deadline, collecting only 350,000 after 70 days. Spokesperson Karen England says that meant the attempt to delay SB 777 with a referendum ballot drive had failed. But the group, she explains, decided to take a different tact for a public vote to nullify the new law -- called an initiative -- that will allow them more time than before to collect signatures.

"The clock starts once we get the information back from the [California] Attorney General, and we have 150 days to collect the necessary 434,000 signatures as opposed to the less than 70 days we had to collect that amount," she says. If they qualify, either a November ballot or special election will bring state citizens to vote on their initiative. "Basically what we've done is file language that if the people agree and vote on it, if we get enough signatures, it will [return] the education code that SB 777 changed ... back to the old code prior to SB 777," says the campaign spokesperson.

England says despite the setback, and even though many pro-family supporters have chosen to withdraw children from public schools rather than join Save Our Kids Campaign, many families are encouraging the leaders to continue. "We were able to collect the most [signatures] that any drive has ever done, volunteer only, so we are very encouraged ... which is why we're carrying on," says England. "Our people want us to carry on [in] this fight ... and stand up for families."

SB 777 went into effect the next day after the referendum count was announced.