By Hilary White
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SACRAMENTO, June 29, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Senate Judiciary Committee of California has narrowly rejected an attempt to legalize assisted suicide.
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The Committee voted 3-2 on Tuesday, with Joe Dunn, a Democrat, casting the deciding vote with two Republicans. Dunn said that he could not trust that this bill would not open the door for active euthanasia for those not suffering from terminal illnesses.
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Dunn told reporters at a press conference that it was with “a heavy heart” that he voted no. He said he was afraid that in the future, “the power of money” would result in euthanasia for the healthy.
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“In this society, in California and the United States, more often than not public policy decisions are driven unfortunately by money concerns,” Dunn said.
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Bill AB651 had been crafted on the model of Oregon’s assisted suicide legislation. A report by the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide showed that the number of assisted suicide victims in Oregon’s latest annual report indicates that reported assisted-suicide deaths have increased by more than 230% since the first year of legalization.
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Opponents of the bill argued that it was unnecessary because under California law terminally ill patients already enjoy the right to refuse extraordinary treatment and have full access to advanced pain treatment.
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Recent polls have shown that once the public understands what assisted suicide is, the support for it drops.
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had hinted earlier this year that he would likely veto any assisted suicide bill that was passed in California.
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Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Polls Show Once Public Understands the Issue Doctor-Assisted Suicide Fails
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/mar/06031704.html