The California State Legislature has approved a "death with dignity" law. The State Senate approved the legislation just a few hours ago. Governor Brown has not said whether he will sign the bill. If Brown does not sign, supporters will consider putting it to a public vote. Nationwide polls show that about 70% of U.S. citizens are in favor of assisted suicide in cases where the patient requests it and is terminally ill.
The California bill is modeled on the law in Oregon, with several notable changes. The California law would expire after 10 years and have to be re-approved, and doctors would have to consult in private with the patient desiring to die, as part of an effort to ensure that no one was being coerced to end his or her own life — a primary concern for opponents of the law.
[. . .]
Since Oregon approved the country’s first assisted-suicide law in 1997, supporters have struggled to expand their reach, amid opposition from religious groups, some medical organizations and lawmakers whose skepticism crosses party lines. “It allows for individual liberty and freedom, freedom of choice,” said Mark Leno, a Democrat from San Francisco, who compared the issue to same-sex marriage.
[. . .]
“If it becomes the law in California, that’s going to be very, very significant nationally,” said George Eighmey, vice president of Death With Dignity and a former state legislator in Oregon.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Perhaps the law was finally approved this year because of the physician-assisted suicide of Brittany Maynard. Brittany was a young newlywed who developed brain cancer. She decided that she wanted the option of dying on her terms. She had to move to Oregon to be able to do that. In her last months, she actively campaigned for the ability for people to seek death with dignity.
http://www.cnn.com/...
Fri Sep 11, 2015 at 8:06 PM PT: UPDATE: Radiowalla feels that using the phrase "assisted suicide" in the title was misleading. I don't completely agree, but I can see that the word "suicide" may give the wrong flavor to the intent of the article and diary. So I've modified the title by substituting the actual name of the bill that was passed.