Week 41/2015 in the Death with Dignity Movement

In the week from October 5 to October 11, 2015:

• California became the fourth state to enact a Death with Dignity statute and the fifth to legalize physician assisted dying when Governor Brown signed the End of Life Option Act. The decision reverberated across the nation.

California Coverage

• “Right To Die Becomes Law In California,” Huffington Post, 10/5/2015
• “After struggling, Jerry Brown makes assisted suicide legal in California,” Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2015
• “Jerry Brown’s thoughts turn to end-of-life issues,” San Francisco Chronicle, 10/5/2015
• “For Jerry Brown, end-of-life bill forces personal reflection,” Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2015
• “Cancer patients thank governor for signing aid-in-dying bill,” Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2015
• “California voters overwhelmingly support assisted death law,” Sacramento Bee, 10/5/2015
• “California Governor Signs Physician-Assisted-Suicide Bill Into Law,” KQED, 10/5/2015
• “California Governor Signs Landmark Right-To-Die Law,” NPR, 10/5/2015
• “Gov. Brown Signs California Right-To-Die Measure,” New York Times via Associated Press, 10/5/2015
• “California governor signs ‘right to die’ bill,” CNN, 10/5/2015
• “California Governor Signs Hard-Won Right-to-Die Legislation,” NBC San Diego, 10/5/2015
• “Terminally ill Californians gain ‘right to die’ after Gov. Brown signs bill,” MSNBC, 10/5/2015
• “Gov. Brown Signs California Right-to-Die Measure,” ABC News, 10/6/2015
• “Governor Wrestles With His Own Mortality, Signs ‘Death With Dignity’ Law,” Think Progress, 10/5/2015
• “Jerry Brown signs doctor-assisted death bill,” Sacramento Bee, 10/5/2015
• “California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Bill Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide,” Newsweek, 10/5/2015
• “California Governor Signs Right-to-Die Bill,” TIME, 10/5/2015
• “California legalizes assisted suicide amid growing support for such laws,” Pew Research, 10/5/2015
• “California has legalized physician-assisted suicide. Here’s how the law works.” Vox, 10/5/2015
• “1 in 6 Americans now live in a state where physician-assisted suicide is legal,” Vox, 10/5/2015
• “California adopts ‘right-to-die’ law allowing assisted suicide for terminally ill patients,” Washington Post, 10/5/2015
• “How assisted suicide will work in California,” Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2015
• “Brittany Maynard’s husband grateful in Portland as California approves ‘death with dignity’ (video),” OregonLive.com, 10/6/2015
• “Brittany Maynard’s Family Looks Back After Year-Long Fight to Pass ‘Death-With-Dignity’ Bill,” ABC News, 10/6/2015
• “California coroners have issues with new assisted death law,” Los Angeles Times, 10/7/2015
• “Death With Dignity Comes to California,” Democracy, 10/7/2015
• “Referendum papers filed on assisted suicide law,” Los Angeles Times, 10/6/2015
• “Opponents of assisted death law seek referendum,” Sacramento Bee, 10/6/2015
• “Californians to get assisted suicide,” Reuters, 10/7/2015
• “How to talk to your doctor about life-ending drugs,” San Jose Mercury News, 10/7/2015
• “Editorial: Terminally ill free to choose death, dignity,” Eureka Times Standard, 10/8/2015
• “Experts in Bay Area Jewish community weigh in on California’s new aid-in-dying law,” JWeekly.com, 10/8/2015
• “Is assisted suicide an evolving civil right?” San Diego Union Tribune, 10/8/2015
• “Death With Dignity Act in Oregon: A preview of what California might expect,” Los Angeles Times, 10/8/2015
• “Aid-in-dying law renews debate over definition of suicide,” San Francisco Chronicle, 10/10/2015

California’s Impact

• “Assisted suicide backers hope for boost from California,” Democrat & Chronicle, 10/6/2015
• “What’s next now that CA becomes 5th state in nation to allow assisted suicide for the terminally ill,” KPCC AirTalk, 10/6/2015
• “Assisted suicide: Is California’s new law a tipping point? (+video),” Christian Science Monitor, 10/7/2015
• “1 in 6 Americans now live in a state where physician-assisted suicide is legal,” Vox, 10/7/2015
• Connecticut: “Advocates Hope California Aid-In-Dying Law Will Spur Action in Connecticut,” CT News Junkie, 10/7/2015
• Pennsylvania: “Fábregas: California’s ‘right to die’ passage opens door for sensitive discussion,” Trib Live, 10/10/2015

Florida

• “Should Florida allow death with dignity?,” Sun Sentinel, 10/6/2015
• “Romano: As other states move ahead, Florida is silent on physician-assisted death,” Tampa Bay Times, 10/10/2015

Maryland

• “Md. lawmakers hear lessons learned on Death with Dignity,” WTOP, 10/6/2015
• “Right-to-die advocates renew push in Maryland, have Busch’s support,” Baltimore Sun, 10/6/2015
• “California OKs Assisted Suicide, What Does It Mean For Maryland?,” CBS Baltimore, 10/7/2015
• “Support grows for death-with-dignity legislation,” The Frederick News Post, 10/8/2015
• “Right-to-die advocates pushing hard for legislation in Maryland in 2016,” Washington Post, 10/10/2015
• “Assisted Suicide Laws 2015: Advocates See Maryland As Next Battleground, After California Passes Right-To-Die Law,” International Business Times, 10/10/2015

New York

• “Local advocates want ‘Right to Die’ law in NYS,” CBS 6 News, 10/8/2015
• “Editorial: Get ready for talks about assisted suicide,” Times Herald Record, 10/10/2015

Other Stories

• “The most obvious question is not how these laws get passed (with dogged grass-roots activism over decades) but why more states don’t have them. The answer: the Catholic Church opposes them.” “California doctors can offer aid in dying, but many people won’t have access,” The Guardian, 10/8/2015
• “Five states permit doctors to help terminally ill patients end their lives, but Catholic hospitals still refuse to let their patients die with dignity.”“At Catholic Hospitals, a ‘Right to Life’ but Not a Right to Death,” The Nation, 10/8/2015

Image by Thomas Hawk.