As Connecticut state director for the American Academy of Medical Ethics, I and my fellow state directors, along with many others, face a number of ethical challenges.  Certainly, one of the major issues is Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS), but a number of others are also important for us to be vigilant in challenging:  Right of conscience, abortion, cloning, stem cell research to name several.

One of the issues we all face is end of life decision making.  This is not only for those of us that are moving into the latter half of our lives, but for younger people who are considering decisions that could prove dangerous.

Below is a link from CMDA's website regarding a recent "conversation" that Dr. Stevens had with a robot.  I encourage you to take five or ten minutes and carefully read this.

https://cmda.org/resources/publication/a-bot-too-far

This is a re-posting of a message I received from the Patients Rights Action Fund.  It is a nice summary of the actions so far this year regarding Physician Assisted Suicide.  
It represents much to give God praise and also an encouragement to keep praying and working. God is on the throne and prayer changes things.  Someone once said "pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on us".   When the wall was being rebuilt in Jerusalem, they worked while carrying their swords.  "The burden-bearers carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon.  And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built" (Neh 4:17-18)

Legislative sessions are officially over for the spring and, in some states, for the year.   Assisted suicide opponents were extremely successful in preventing any more states from legalizing assisted suicide.  In several of the states, the battles were very difficult but our coalitions worked extremely hard and prevailed.  

In the last week, bills stalled for the remainder of 2017 in New York and Delaware.   Last year, there was a favorable vote in the New York Assembly Health Committee for the assisted suicide bill.   This year, proponents were not able to garner enough votes in that same committee to have a vote!   This is huge as New York is the prize most desired by Compassion and Choices!

We learned on Thursday of this week that the Delaware House was going to vote on the assisted suicide bill on Friday.  Our coalition mobilized with one-day notice and spearheaded an intense campaign which stalled the bill until 2018.  

Major kudos and congratulations to our heroic coalitions in New York and Delaware for an exceptional job!  

In addition, bills were defeated in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon and Rhode Island as their legislative sessions ended, bringing the total to 23 states where measures were defeated, died from inaction, stalled or were withdrawn.   Of the remaining states, Massachusetts, South Dakota and New Jersey are the ones to watch.   

Defeated Bills to Legalize Assisted Suicide in 2017

·         Oklahoma:  HJR 1009 (Ballot measure)  -- died in committee

• North Carolina:  HB 789 – died in committee

·         New York:  S.3151/A.2383 , A.3598 “End-of-Life Options” Act --  no committee votes taken, stalled in committee

• Delaware:   HB 160 – passed in committee, full House vote stalled

·         Rhode Island:  House Bill 5468, Senate Bill 224 – no action taken, died in committee

·         Oregon:  SB 893 (allowed health care agents to fulfill requests for lethal drugs) --  died in committee

·         Mississippi:  Death with Dignity Act Senate Bill 2283 – died in committee

·         Utah:  HB 76 – tabled in committee

·         Tennessee:  SB 1378, HB 1394 – withdrawn

·         Maryland:  SB 354– withdrawn; HB 370 – died in committee

·         Wyoming:  HB 0122 – bill was drafted but not introduced, dead at this time

·         New Mexico:  House Bill 171, SB 252 – defeated by Senate vote

·         Indiana:  SB 273, HB 1561  – died in committee

·         Nebraska:  Legislative Bill 450 – died, not a priority bill

·         Connecticut:  H.B. No. 6024, HB 6238 – died in committee

·         Kansas:  HB 2120 Death With Dignity Act– died in committee

·         Arizona:  HB 2336 – died in committee

·         Iowa:   Senate File 215, House File 299– died in committee

·         Missouri:  Death With Dignity Act HB 524 – attempt to add to another bill failed

·         Hawaii:  SB 1129 -- passed in the Senate and  died in a House committee.

·         Alaska:  HB 54 - Voluntary Termination of Life – held in committee without action

·         Maine:  LD 1066 -- An Act to Promote Life with Dignity;  LD 347 --An Act To Support Death with Dignity – passed in the Senate and defeated by House vote

·         Nevada:  SB 261 – passed the Senate and died in a House committee

Active Bills to Legalize/Expand Assisted Suicide in 2017: 

·         New Jersey:  S 2474 --carryover from 2016

·         Massachusetts:  H.1194, S.1225

·         Pennsylvania:  SB 238

·         Minnesota:  SF 1572 – End of Life Options Act

·         Wisconsin:  AB 216, SB 312 -- Compassionate Choices

·         Michigan:  HB 4461  -- legalizes assisted suicide 

• Michigan:  HB 4462 – amends criminal sentencing standards to eliminate the penalties for assisting a suicide

Ballot Measures

·         South Dakota:  Signatures being gathered for a November 2018 ballot measure.

From Barbara Lyons, dated 7/2/2017