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EUREKA – The California Democratic Party recently adopted a resolution in support of physician-assisted suicide.
According to the resolution, Democrats are in favor of securing the right to “death with dignity” for all Californians. It was adopted by the state party’s executive board this past weekend.
The resolution backs adoption of a law that would offer dying patients the right to hasten their death with the help of prescription drugs, and notes that some safeguards should be in place to prevent abuse. Supported by the party’s Disability Caucus, the resolution also includes a statement about the need to ensure the protection and rights of people with disabilities.
“I think this highlights the fact that this is a mainstream issue,” said Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Van Nuys Democrat who has jointly authored a bill with Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, to offer state residents the same choices as those offer to Oregonians under that state’s Death with Dignity Act.
That bill would have required that the person requesting the prescription be a resident of California with a prognosis of no more than six months to live. Patients would be required to make both verbal and written requests, to be counseled on other alternatives, and to be evaluated and pronounced mentally competent.
There would be a 15-day waiting period between the request and the writing of the prescription.
times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2993532,00.html#
According to the resolution, Democrats are in favor of securing the right to “death with dignity” for all Californians. It was adopted by the state party’s executive board this past weekend.
The resolution backs adoption of a law that would offer dying patients the right to hasten their death with the help of prescription drugs, and notes that some safeguards should be in place to prevent abuse. Supported by the party’s Disability Caucus, the resolution also includes a statement about the need to ensure the protection and rights of people with disabilities.
“I think this highlights the fact that this is a mainstream issue,” said Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Van Nuys Democrat who has jointly authored a bill with Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, to offer state residents the same choices as those offer to Oregonians under that state’s Death with Dignity Act.
That bill would have required that the person requesting the prescription be a resident of California with a prognosis of no more than six months to live. Patients would be required to make both verbal and written requests, to be counseled on other alternatives, and to be evaluated and pronounced mentally competent.
There would be a 15-day waiting period between the request and the writing of the prescription.
times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2993532,00.html#