Assisted suicide legislation rejected by California Senate committee

Published: 2006-07-05

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- Opponents of assisted suicide in California were elated June 27 after the state Senate Judiciary Committee rejected a long-dormant bill that would have allowed terminally ill patients to obtain life-ending drugs. The deciding vote was cast by outgoing Democratic Sen. Joseph Dunn, who chairs the committee. He said he struggled with how to vote on the bill but ultimately decided he did not want to see the poor and disabled urged to end their lives so hospitals and the medical industry could cut costs. During a 15-minute speech prior to casting his no vote, Dunn said, "In this society, more often than not, public policy decisions are driven unfortunately by money concerns, not by policy concerns." Supporters of the measure, written by Assemblywoman Patty Berg and Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, both Democrats, declared defeat after being unable to gather the three votes needed from the five-member Judiciary Committee to move it forward.

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