By The Times-Standard
Wednesday, August 03, 2005 -
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.
"Most Californians can imagine a situation in which they could understand someone making a choice to hasten their own death," said Berg. "And, as usual, Democrats are the ones who align themselves with the thinking of most Californians. I think it's a very good sign."
The effort needs a few good signs.
After a last-ditch effort to save the bill this year through what's called a "gut-and-amend" -- where the bill's language is put into another bill and sent on to the Senate -- Levine and Berg announced they were going to give up and try again next year.
While the bill didn't technically fail, it was felt there was not enough support in the Legislature for the bill to pass this year.
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