Week 44/2016 in the Death with Dignity Movement

In the week from October 31 to November 6, 2016:

• The Council of the District of Columbia passed the Death with Dignity Act of 2015 on a veto-proof 11 to 2 vote. The second required, pro–forma vote will take place later in November, and the bill will then head to Mayor Bowser’s desk.
• A New Jersey Senate Health Committee passed a Death with Dignity bill, previously approved by the full Assembly. The bill now heads to the full Senate, though if it passes, it faces a likely veto by Gov. Christie.

Washington, DC

• “D.C. Council Passes Right-To-Die Bill,” DCist, 11/1/2016
• “Washington, D.C., approves ‘Death With Dignity Act’,” Religion News Service, 11/1/2016 (reprinted by National Catholic Reporter)
• “D.C. Council gives initial approval to a bill to let terminally ill patients end their lives,” Washington Post, 11/1/2016
• “D.C. Council Votes in Favor of Death With Dignity Bill,” NBC Washington, 11/1/2016
• “D.C. Council OKs right-to-die bill,” USA Today, 11/1/2016
  
• “Washington, D.C. City Council Gives Initial Approval to “Death With Dignity” Bill,” Patheos/Friendly Atheist, 11/1/2016
• ““D.C. Passes Bill Allowing Assisted Suicide for the Terminally Ill,” The Daily Beast, 11/1/2016
• “D.C. Council member becomes emotional during ‘death with dignity’ vote,” Washington Post, 11/2/2016

New Jersey

• “N.J. Senate panel OKs ‘aid in dying’ despite looming Christie veto,” Times of Trenton/NJ.com, 11/3/2016
• “Stage set for showdown over legalizing assisted suicide in New Jersey,” NorthJersey.com, 11/3/2016

Elsewhere

• Colorado: “‘Death with dignity’ measure in Colorado stirs controversy — and passion,” STAT, 11/3/2016 (reprinted at NPR)
• New York: “Growing Latino Push for Assisted Dying Laws in NY,” Voices of NY, 11/2/2016
• Oregon: “City Club of Eugene: Oregon’s Death with Dignity Law, The Theory and the Practice,” KLCC, 10/31/2016

Other Stories

• Brittany Maynard’s mother, Deborah Ziegler, speaks out in favor of physician-assisted death legislation:
  • “Brittany Maynard’s Mother on Loss, Denial, and Why She Wrote Her Book,” New York Magazine, 10/26/2016
  • “Like my daughter, all Americans should have the right to die with dignity,” CNN, 10/31/2016
  • “Mother of Brittany Maynard discusses new book and right-to-die movement,” WJLA-ABC DC, 11/3/2016
  • “Brittany Maynard’s mom writes book to honor promise to dying daughter,” San Diego Union Tribune, 11/6/2016
• Our friend Jenny Cooper shares her story of battling cancer at Good Housekeeping: “I’m Terminally Ill, and I Want to Choose When I Die,” GoodHousekeeping.com, 11/1/2016 (reposted in Cosmopolitan)
• “On Assisted Suicide, Going Beyond ‘Do No Harm’,” New York Times, 11/4/2016

Image by jun.skywalker.