California assisted suicide bill SB 128 may not be dead.

Alex Schadenberg

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

(The new assisted suicide bill is Assembly Bill AB 15).

On July 7 I reported that the California assisted suicide bill SB 128 appears to have died a peaceful death. In the article I wrote:

California assisted suicide bill SB 128 appears to have died a peaceful death in the California House after Democrat legislators, in the Health Committee, opposed it based on opposition from the disability community and the Latino community.

Margaret Dore, an elder law attorney and President of Choice is an Illusion believes that even though assisted suicide bill SB 128 stalled in the Assembly Health Committee, that it may soon be debated in the California House.

Margaret Dore

Dore quotes from a Town Hall Conference Call where the assisted suicide lobby campaign manager urges their supporters to keep working. The campaign manager said:

"When . . . the legislature come[s] back from break in the middle of August, we’re going to be ready to go. We’re going to pick up and move the bill forward and we do expect to get to a vote on the Assembly floor this year. We still think we have a very strong chance to pass this bill and get it to the governor's desk, and see him sign it into law this year."

Dore is taking this threat very seriously and I am also. California assisted suicide bill SB 128 may go to a vote on the floor of the California Assembly as early as next week.

Dore has published her legal analysis of SB 128 and Choice is an Illusion is urging people to contact members of the California House. Use the following talking points:

1. that the bill is broad enough to include a young adult with diabetes, 
2. that the bill is a recipe for elder abuse in which prosecution for murder is not legally possible (the perfect crime) ; and 
3. that direct euthanasia is allowed. 

Here is a link to find your assembly member: (Link).
Here is a link to all assembly members: (Link).

The assisted suicide lobby has lost ground in 2015. They have launched big campaigns in several states and have spent a lot of money that they acquired through the Brittany Maynard campaign and not one of those campaigns have been successful.

Two weeks ago, a California trial judge rejected an attempt by the suicide lobby to circumvent their assisted suicide law through the court by finding that the California prohibition against assisted suicide is constitutional.

A few days ago we experienced another tremendous victory when the New Mexico Court of Appeal overturned an activist court decision, that had legalized assisted suicide in that state, upholding protections in law for New Mexico residents from assisted suicide.

We don't want SB 128 to end up on Governor Jerry Brown's desk.

The assisted suicide lobby been defeated over and over again. We need you to make sure that this continues.