Calif. Supporters Withdraw Aid-In-Dying Bill After Momentum Stalls In Assembly
The proposal, which would allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for people with terminal illnesses, was shelved shortly before a legislative hearing.
Los Angeles Times:
California Aid-In-Dying Bill Shelved For The Year
Stalled by the deep personal beliefs of many lawmakers, a proposal that would allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients in California was sidelined Tuesday. The measure passed the state Senate last month. But on Tuesday, the authors concluded that it did not have enough support to pass the Assembly Health Committee and withdrew it from a scheduled hearing. ... some opposition to the bill on the committee came from their own party. Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) said the proposal conflicted with beliefs developed when he worked in ambulances as an emergency medical technician. (McGreevy, 7/7)
San Jose Mercury News:
SB 128, California's Right-To-Die Bill, Denied
Just weeks after it appeared headed for passage, California's right-to-die bill ran headlong into some Democratic lawmakers' fears that doctors might coerce the poor to end their lives when they become seriously ill -- and was shelved for the year.
Sens. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and Bill Monning, D-Monterey, conceded Tuesday that their legislation -- dubbed a "death with dignity" bill by proponents and an "assisted suicide" measure by opponents -- didn't have enough support from members of the Assembly Health Committee to advance to the Assembly floor. (Calefati and Krieger, 7/7)
Kaiser Health News:
Lacking Votes, Calif. Assembly Shelves Aid-In-Dying Bill
Backers of a bill that would have allowed terminally ill Californians to get lethal prescriptions to end their lives shelved the legislation Tuesday morning because they lacked the votes to move it out of a key committee. The End of Life Option Act, had already cleared the state Senate, but faced opposition in the Assembly Health Committee. (Aliferis, 7/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
California Assisted-Suicide Bill Stalls Under Pressure
A bill that would have made California one of a handful of states to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients was put on hold Tuesday after pressure from a coalition of secular and religious groups. The legislation received a boost in May, when the California Medical Association became the first state medical association to change its position on the issue and dropped its opposition. The state Senate passed the bill in June. ... The measure was opposed by secular and religious groups, including the Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles. (Audi and Lazo, 7/7)
The Associated Press:
Right-To-Die Advocates Call California Loss A Brief Setback
California dealt the national right-to-die movement a huge blow when legislation allowing doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs stalled, but advocates aren't conceding defeat. ... Lawmakers and aid-in-dying advocates vowed Tuesday they would continue to fight on behalf of the bill and would begin work on placing an initiative on the 2016 ballot as a back-up option. California is seen as one of the best shots at expanding the thin ranks of right-to-die states that includes Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont. (Nirappil, 7/8)
