A big thanks to everyone who worked so hard to defeat SB 220, which had sought to legalize Oregon-style assisted suicide in Montana!
Yesterday, February 13, 2013, the bill was defeated and then tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee's executive session.
The vote to defeat SB 220 was 7 to 5.
The vote to table the bill was 9 to 3.
Way to go!!!!
____
* For a legal and policy analysis of the defeated bill, see this link: http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/mt-no-on-sb-220_0011.pdf
* * To view the bill's information page, go here.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
SB 220 Talking Points (Tell your legislators to vote no!)
For more detailed information with supporting documentation, click here.
1. What does SB 220 do?
SB 220 seeks to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Montana.
2. What is physician-assisted suicide?
The American Medical Association (AMA) defines physician-assisted suicide as occurring "when a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing the necessary means and/or information to enable the patient to perform the life-ending act."[1] An example would be a doctor’s prescription for a lethal drug to facilitate a patient’s suicide.[2]
3. What is the American Medical Association's position on physician-assisted suicide?
The American Medical Association rejects assisted suicide, stating:
"Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks."[3]
4. Is it true that assisted suicide is only legal in two states?
Yes. There are just two states where physician-assisted suicide is legal: Oregon and Washington.[4]
5. Are there also states that have strengthened their laws against assisted suicide?
Yes. In the last two years, three states have strengthened their laws against assisted suicide.[5]. Those states are: Idaho; Georgia; and Louisiana.[6]
6. How does SB 220 work?
SB 220 has an application process to obtain the lethal dose, which includes a written lethal dose request form.[7]
Once the lethal dose is issued by the pharmacy, there is no oversight.[8] The death is not required to be witnessed by disinterested persons.[9] Indeed, no one is required to be present.[10]
1. What does SB 220 do?
SB 220 seeks to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Montana.
2. What is physician-assisted suicide?
The American Medical Association (AMA) defines physician-assisted suicide as occurring "when a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing the necessary means and/or information to enable the patient to perform the life-ending act."[1] An example would be a doctor’s prescription for a lethal drug to facilitate a patient’s suicide.[2]
3. What is the American Medical Association's position on physician-assisted suicide?
The American Medical Association rejects assisted suicide, stating:
"Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks."[3]
4. Is it true that assisted suicide is only legal in two states?
Yes. There are just two states where physician-assisted suicide is legal: Oregon and Washington.[4]
5. Are there also states that have strengthened their laws against assisted suicide?
Yes. In the last two years, three states have strengthened their laws against assisted suicide.[5]. Those states are: Idaho; Georgia; and Louisiana.[6]
6. How does SB 220 work?
SB 220 has an application process to obtain the lethal dose, which includes a written lethal dose request form.[7]
Once the lethal dose is issued by the pharmacy, there is no oversight.[8] The death is not required to be witnessed by disinterested persons.[9] Indeed, no one is required to be present.[10]
Labels:
SB 220
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on SB 220!
By Margaret Dore, Esq.
SB 220 seeks to legalize Oregon-style assisted suicide in Montana.
To read a legal analysis of SB 220, click here. To read the attachments to that analysis, click here.
The introduction to the analysis states:
This memo discusses why the claim that SB 220 will assure patient control is untrue. SB 220 is instead a recipe for elder abuse. The bill puts the elderly in the crosshairs of their heirs and abusive family members.
SB 220 also eliminates safeguards such as waiting periods that supposedly render the Oregon and Washington laws safe. Doctor reporting is also eliminated.
The former Hemlock Society, Compassion & Choices, claims that this is because Oregon’s reporting system has "demonstrated the safety of the practice." To the contrary, Oregon’s reports support that the claimed safety is speculative. The reported statistics are also consistent with elder abuse. No wonder Compassion & Choices wants the reporting system gone.
To contact your legislators, go here: http://leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/Lawmaking-Process/contact-legislators.asp
Labels:
assisted suicide,
Elder abuse
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Reject Assisted Suicide
http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_27714944-70cb-11e2-a2a3-001a4bcf887a.html?print=true&cid=print
As a physician in Oregon where doctor-assisted suicide is legal, I write to urge your readers to contact their legislators to reject assisted-suicide in Montana.
One of my first requests for assisted-suicide came from a man with multiple sclerosis. He was wheelchair dependent with multiple sclerosis yet lived a very active life. While I was seeing him, I asked him about his disease. He acknowledged it was a major challenge and told me that if he got too much worse, he might want to “just end it.” “It sounds like you are telling me this because you might ultimately want assistance with your own suicide if things got worse,” I said. He nodded affirmatively, and seemed relieved that I seemed to really understand.
I told him that no matter how debilitated he might become, that, at least to me, his life was, and would always be, inherently valuable. As such, I would not recommend, nor could I participate in his assisted-suicide. He simply said, “Thank you.”
Unfortunately, in Oregon, people are often instead told that they are right to want to die – that their lives have no value. I urge you to not let this tragedy be repeated in Montana.
William L. Toffler MD
Portland, Ore.
As a physician in Oregon where doctor-assisted suicide is legal, I write to urge your readers to contact their legislators to reject assisted-suicide in Montana.
One of my first requests for assisted-suicide came from a man with multiple sclerosis. He was wheelchair dependent with multiple sclerosis yet lived a very active life. While I was seeing him, I asked him about his disease. He acknowledged it was a major challenge and told me that if he got too much worse, he might want to “just end it.” “It sounds like you are telling me this because you might ultimately want assistance with your own suicide if things got worse,” I said. He nodded affirmatively, and seemed relieved that I seemed to really understand.
I told him that no matter how debilitated he might become, that, at least to me, his life was, and would always be, inherently valuable. As such, I would not recommend, nor could I participate in his assisted-suicide. He simply said, “Thank you.”
Unfortunately, in Oregon, people are often instead told that they are right to want to die – that their lives have no value. I urge you to not let this tragedy be repeated in Montana.
William L. Toffler MD
Portland, Ore.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)