California's Right to Die Bill Stalled

Recently, California lawmakers announced another attempt to pass the "right-to-die legislation" even after an earlier ruling was stalled due to religious opposition and hesitant Democrats, according to yahoo.

The new bill seeking to allow doctors to see that terminally ill patients could take life-ending drugs was put forth in a special legislative session on health care financing, which was convened by Gov. Jerry Brown.

However, Gov Brown said through spokeswoman Deborah Hoffman that "the session is not the appropriate venue to consider the issue. A better approach would be to reconsider previous legislation next year that is now stalled."

This "renewed push" follows the legislation in at least two dozen states. They introduced aid-in-dying legislation this year, although none of them were passed.

Doctors can prescribe life-ending drugs only in Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana.

This right-to-die movement was fuelled by 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, a Californian woman with brain cancer, who shifted to Oregon to end her life. She argued in many online videos, that she "should have been able to access life-ending drugs in her home state." The videos were widely viewed.

"Californians should have more options available to those suffering constantly other than moving to other states or living in constant pain," Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, said Tuesday at a news conference.

However, the Californian Bill had been widely opposed by religious groups and advocates for people with disabilities . They argued that it went against the will of God and "put terminally ill patients at risk for coerced death".

Hence, the bill managed to pass the state Senate, yet it was stalled in the Assembly.

"It is particularly troubling that in this rush to judgment, proponents are linking this bill with health care financing," said Tim Rosales, a spokesman for Californians Against Assisted Suicide, which includes groups advocating for Catholics, oncologists and people with disabilities. "That should be truly frightening to those on MediCal and subsidized health care, who quite logically fear a system where prescribing suicide pills could be elevated to a treatment option."

On the other hand, Debbie Ziegler, Maynard's mother, criticized religious groups, including the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, for opposing the bill. "What right does anyone of a specific religious faith have to say I should act in accordance with their fate in my death?" she said.