Saturday, December 14, 2013

Judge Hears Assisted Suicide Arguments

http://www.kxlf.com/news/montana-judge-hears-assisted-suicide-arguments/

Posted: Dec 11, 2013 4:38 PM by Sanjay Talwani - MTN News

HELENA - The issue of physician assisted suicide was in court Tuesday [December 10, 2013]
Judge Michael Menehan
Montanans Against Assisted Suicide is arguing that a policy position by the Montana Board of Medical Examiners implies that physician assisted suicide may be legal. 
A lawyer for the Board says that the position - since rescinded, says no such thing. Michael Fanning says the group bringing the lawsuit has no real case is trying to force the issue to the Montana Supreme Court.
The position paper, written in response to doctor inquiries, said that the board would handle complaints related to assisted suicide on a case-by-case basis as it would other cases.
Margaret Dore
Attorney for Montanans
Against Assisted Suicide (MAAS)
Margaret Dore, an attorney for MAAS, said the paper overstepped the Board's authority and implied to many that assisted suicide was legal in Montana.
"They are a board that is comprised of 11 doctors and two members of the public," she said. "It has no expertise to be making a pronouncement, that aid in dying is legal in Montana. That's the role of the legislature or a court and they are neither."
She said that such an understanding had huge implications in devaluing the lives of the sick and elderly.
That position paper - in response to the lawsuit - has since been rescinded by the Board and scrubbed from its website. But Dore said court action was still needed to prevent the Board from reinstating such a position.
She repeatedly asked District Judge Mike Menahan to weigh in on a Montana Supreme Court ruling known as Baxter, that envisions potential defenses to doctors charged with homicide for assisting with suicide.
But Menehan said it wasn't the role of a district judge to rule on a Montana Supreme Court order.
Craig Charlton
Attorney for MAAS
Michael Fanning, an attorney for the Board, said MAAS had no standing to bring the lawsuit, has suffered no damages from the Board's rescinded position and was simply jockeying to get the case before the Montana Supreme Court in hopes of overturning the Baxter ruling.
"This most certainly is a political question, a philosophical question or an academic debate, but it is not a lawsuit," he said. "In fact, this is a feigned case. It was contrived simply to bring this matter before you."
Menahan did not immediately rule on the case.
[Montanans Against Assisted Suicide (MAAS) is also represented by attorney Craig Charlton].

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Great Falls Event a Great Success!

MAAS's Great Falls event at the Hilton Garden Inn on June 29, 2013 was a great success!  Keynote speaker Alex Schadenberg provided good humor and shared his wealth of knowledge of the international situation on assisted suicide.

Washington State Attorney, Margaret Dore, provided extensive course materials, which can be viewed by clicking here.  Attorneys were provided 1.0 CLE credit.

Feedback comments included: "I was very moved by the personal stories of the presenters" and "Carol Mungas, Carley Robertson, very powerful personal testimonies."  To view other comments, please click here.

To view the event flyer, click here.  To sponsor a similar event in your community, please click here.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Beware of Vultures: Senator Jennifer Fielder on Compassion & Choices

"[I]t seems odd that the top lobby spender in Montana this year was Compassion and Choices, a 'nonprofit' group that spent $160,356 advocating for legalization of assisted suicide."
By Senator Jennifer Fielder

As we wrangled through the budget this spring, the beautiful state capitol began to feel like a big, ripe carcass with a dark cloud of vultures circling about.  
Senator Jennifer Fielder

The magnitude of money in government attracts far more folks who want to be on the receiving end than it does those who just want fair and functional government. Until that ratio improves, it may be impossible to rein in unnecessary regulation and spending. 

Special interest groups spent over $6 million dollars on lobbyists to pressure Montana legislators during the 2013 session. Seems like a lot of money, until you compare it to the billions of taxpayer dollars at stake. Does the average taxpayer stand a chance against organized forces like that?

Assisted suicide: Senate bill was defeated

http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_f38cc835-638d-59c1-bd88-880c1cb3c1c8.html 

June 09, 2013 9:45 am

I was appalled to read Charles Johnson’s article implying that assisted suicide is legal in Montana. To the contrary, Senate Bill 220, which had sought to legalize assisted-suicide, was defeated in committee during the 2013 legislative session. The bill was tabled, nine votes to three. See www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/p/sb-220-tabled.html.