Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 16 May 2018

Judge tosses California law allowing life-ending drugs

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) —
A California judge on Tues-
day threw out a 2016 state
law allowing the terminally
ill to end their lives, ruling it
was unconstitutionally ap-
proved by the Legislature.
Riverside County Superior
Court Judge Daniel Otto-
lia said lawmakers acted
illegally in passing the law
during a special session
devoted to other topics,
said lawyers for support-
ers and opponents. He did
not address the legal issue
of whether it was proper to
allow people to take their
own lives, and gave the
state attorney general five
days to appeal.
Attorney General Xavier
Becerra’s office did not re-
spond to calls and emails
seeking comment.
The Life Legal Defense
Foundation, American
Academy of Medical Eth- In this Sept. 24, 2015 file photo, supporters of a measure to allow the terminally ill to end their own life march at the Capitol while
ics and several physicians calling on California Gov. Jerry Brown to sign the bill in Sacramento, Calif.
challenged the law, which Associated Press
allows adults to obtain a
prescription for life-ending Hawaii and Washington Compassion & Choices. ning of Carmel, who carried her possessions and order-
drugs if a doctor has deter- D.C. Alexandra Snyder, an at- the original legislation, said ing her favorite foods.
mined they have six months Compassion & Choices, a torney and executive di- the bill was properly consid- “I keep thinking of all the
or less to live. The plaintiffs national organization that rector of Life Legal Defense ered in the special session people who are facing a
say the law lacks safe- advocated for the law, es- Foundation, said the judge and followed “every rule terminal illness and they’re
guards to protect against timated that in its first year ruled that lawmakers effec- of transparency and open- considering the use of this
abuse. 504 Californians requested tively “hijacked” a special ness.” Lawmakers could try law, and they’re in limbo
California health officials prescriptions for medical legislative session that was to pass it again if the law right now and this right
reported that 111 terminal- aid in dying, but had no fur- called to address access to ultimately is rejected by the might be taken away from
ly ill people took drugs to ther update Tuesday. The medical care and used it courts, he said. them,” Davis said.
end their lives in the first six next report on how many to pass their bill. So far, he said, there has “It gave her back control
months after the law went people took the drugs is “Access to health care has been “not a single report of of her life, it let her die on
into effect June 9, 2016, due in July. no relationship to assisted malfeasance or problems.” her own terms and if this
and made the option legal “Our supporters, they’ve suicide,” she said, saying it Kelly Davis’ 41-year-old sis- had happened leading
in the nation’s most popu- frankly expressed shock at set a dangerous precedent ter, Betsy Davis, was one of up to her death or when
lous state. this outcome. They’re dis- that undermines the legisla- the first to use the law as she she thought she’d be able
Oregon was the first to pro- appointed that this end of tive process. was dying of Amyotrophic to use the law, she would
vide the option in 1997. It life option could be taken Opponents have argued lateral sclerosis, commonly have been devastated.”
also is allowed in Washing- away,” said John Kappos, that hastening death is known as Lou Gehrig’s dis- The state’s attorney gen-
ton, Vermont, Colorado, an attorney representing morally wrong, puts termi- ease, that slowly robbed eral’s office said in court
nally ill patients at risk for her of her ability to use her papers that medical pro-
coerced death by loved muscles including to swal- fessionals have the right to
ones and could become low and communicate. refuse to prescribe and dis-
a way out for people who She held a two-day party in pense the drugs. Under the
are uninsured or fearful of Ojai to celebrate the end law, the terminally ill person
high medical bills. of her life with about two- must be able to self-admin-
Democratic Sen. Bill Mon- dozen friends, giving away ister the drugs.q