Enmeshed in an ongoing ethical debate over legalizing assisted deaths by a physician, the California governor banned criminalization of doctors who prescribed lethal medicines to terminally ill patients.
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Bob Huff, R-San Dimas, said that by signing the bill Brown essentially ignored warnings from physicians that patients facing end-of-life decisions may be pressured into assisted suicide “instead of holding out for a cure”.
The governor’s office tweeted a photo of Brown signing the bill on a beer bike in Sacramento Sunday with his wife, Anne Gust Brown, and their two dogs before going on a ride.
Right-to-die advocates say the law’s passage reflects growing support for the right.
“On behalf of the more than 19 million women and girls who call California home, I thank Governor Brown and the courageous members of the California legislature for showing that true progress to close the gender wage gap is possible”, said actress Geena Davis in a statement.
He concluded that it “would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill”. In Oregon and Washington, the number of people who use assisted suicide is incredibly low, about 0.3% of all deaths, most likely because there is excellent access to hospice and palliative services in those states (as demonstrated in last week’s CAPC report card), as well as appropriate evaluation of eligible patients.
As an editorial here said in April, terminally ill patients should have the ability to seek a physician’s assistance to end their suffering. Two witnesses also need to be present, and only one of them can be a relative. They must also attest 48 hours before taking life-ending medication that they are doing so of their own free will. Today the State of California is making it legal for a doctor to write prescriptions for the express goal of killing another human being.
The latest bill was introduced amid nationwide publicity over the case of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old brain cancer patient who moved from California to Oregon to take advantage of that state’s assisted suicide law and died there.
Two in three voters in the poll (65%) favor the new law, while 27% are opposed.
Jerry Brown released the announcement on Monday about signing the bill, and also offered personal opinion which made him do.
Brown’s signature concludes a 23-year effort to legalize aid in dying in California.
The California law, based on similar legislation in Oregon, allows doctors to give lethal drugs to adults with a terminal illness if they are deemed medically competent and expected to die within six months.
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Then it was revived when supporters reintroduced the measure during a special legislative session, adding a provision that law will expire in 10 years unless legislators vote to extend it. The bill, now passed, has almost tripled access to assisted suicide across the country.
