Week 5/2016 in the Death with Dignity Movement

In the week from February 1 to February 7, 2016:

• Hearings took place in the Colorado Senate and House committees considering their respective Death with Dignity bills. A Senate Committee rejected the bill, while the House Judiciary Committee passed it 6 to 5. The bill now heads to the House floor for debate and vote.
• The issue of Death with Dignity made an appearance in the presidential race, when a New Hampshire resident asked Hillary Clinton about her views on the matter.
• As state legislative sessions around the country ramped up, physician-assisted dying became a topic of many conversations.

California

• “New physician-assisted suicide law opens dialogue on difficult subject,” UCLA Newsroom, 2/3/2016
• “New physician-assisted suicide law opens dialogue on difficult subject,” UCLA Health, 2/3/2016
• “Big crowd attends San Rafael session on state’s End of Life Options Act,” Marin Independent Journal, 2/5/2016
• “What We Know About California’s Right to Die Law, Except When It Takes Effect,” AJMC, 2/7/2016

Colorado

• “Physician-Assisted Death Bill Pits Push For Choice Against Abuse Worries,” Colorado Public Radio, 2/3/2016
• “Today, Colorado takes on right-to-die legislation once more,” Coloradoan, 2/3/2016
• “Colorado Right-To-Die Bill Rejected By State Senate Panel,” CBS News via Associated Press, 2/3/2016
• “State Senate Panel Rejects End-Of-Life Options Bill,” Colorado Public Radio, 2/4/2016
• “Assisted-suicide effort a nonstarter at Colorado legislature,” Denver Post, 2/4/2016
• “Aid in Dying Wins an Early Legislative Victory,” Colorado Health Institute, 2/5/2016
• “Colorado Assisted Suicide Bill Advances,” Courthouse News Service, 2/5/2016

New Hampshire

• “Meet the terminal cancer patient who stumped Hillary Clinton on death with dignity at CNN’s town hall,” Washington Post, 2/4/2016
• “Capital Beat: Behind a town hall question,” Political Monitor, 2/7/2016

Utah

• “No one can choose whether they die, but some Utahns want to choose how,” Salt Lake Tribune, 2/1/2016
• “‘End of life options’ bill to generate controversy in the Utah legislature,” Fox 13, 2/3/2016

Elsewhere

• Connecticut: “Will Connecticut Legislature Avoid Aid-in-Dying Bill Another Year?,” Nonprofit Quarterly, 2/3/2016
• Delaware: “As population ages, end-of-life care becomes a priority,” Delaware Online, 2/3/2016
• Indiana: “Our Opinion: As Carrol Krause wrote, Indiana needs a ‘death with dignity’ law,” Herald Times Online, 2/2/2016
• Maryland: “Legislators, Advocates Rally for End-of-Life Option Act,” Baltimore Jewish Times, 2/4/2016
• Minnesota: “Lawmaker Hopes to Breathe New Life into ‘Right to Die’ Bill,” KSTP-ABC, 2/1/2016
• New York: “Patients’ group seeks to overturn dismissal of assisted suicide suit,” Politico New York, 2/4/2016
• Oregon: “Guest Viewpoint: Aid in dying should be an option for patients,” Register Guard, 2/4/2016

Featured image by Darren Hester.