Terminally-ill Patient, Seniors, Family Members, Doctors & Faith Leaders Announce New Drive to Aid Terminally-ill Californians.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Coalition Reinvigorated by Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Oregon's Death with Dignity Law; Congress of California Seniors Makes Aid in Dying Top Bill for 2006

Bolstered by a green light from the U.S. Supreme Court, a coalition of seniors, faith leaders, physicians and terminally ill Californians and their families announced a new drive Tuesday at the Capitol to pass a bill that would make it legal for terminally ill patients to obtain prescription medication to ease their dying process.

Some Californians with incurable, terminal illnesses are suffering needlessly prolonged, agonizing deaths. AB 651 by Assemblywoman Patty Berg and Assemblyman Lloyd Levine would allow terminally-ill California patients to request, and their doctors to provide, a prescription medication to hasten a quiet, peaceful and dignified death. AB 651 would provide safe end-of-life choices for Californians similar to those the people of Oregon enjoy.

Gregg Gour, a terminally ill Californian set to begin a farewell journey across America, called on the legislature and governor to provide him compassionate choices in dying.

"I want more options in the event that the pain and discomfort of the dying process becomes unbearable," said Gour, of Los Angeles, and an HIV patient of almost 24 years. "Starving myself to death or lingering in medication-induced comas are not adequate choices for me."

Susan Rien, of Fair Oaks (near Sacramento), daughter of a San Diego man who died of cancer, said her father asked for help in dying with dignity. "My father was a decorated World War II veteran, who later was an engineer for McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft. He became project manager for NASA's Mercury program. He was dignified and always believed that duty came first. Once he was diagnosed with inoperable, incurable lung cancer, he did everything possible to prepare himself for a dignified death. He put in place a Living Will, a Do Not Resuscitate order and other advance medical directives," Rien told a Capitol news conference. "But none of those helped him at the end of his life. He was competent and alert. Yet he was unable to make the compassionate choice that AB 651 would have given him. I am supporting The Compassionate Choices Act so that no other terminally ill California patient will have to suffer needlessly and can have more compassionate choices at the end of life."

Bay Area physician Dr. Robert Liner told the news conference that the proposal is totally consistent with medical ethics. "Patients with mere days to live should not be deprived of their autonomy to make informed decisions in consultation with their doctors," Liner said. "Patients make medical choices all their lives. They shouldn't lose choices when they need them most.

"A majority of California's physicians want this option to be available for their patients and for themselves. Nearly 1,500 physicians in California support AB 651 because they believe the law should protect doctors and patients who choose to have these discussions," said Liner.

Thousands of California patients' families also support AB 651.

Reverend Dr. Ignacio Castuera, of the St. John's United Methodist Church in Watts argues that AB 651 is counter to religious morality. "People of different faiths and beliefs agree that life is sacred and should be respected and preserved as long as humanly possible. However, when death is imminent, it is entirely respectful to the sanctity of life to allow a person to decide for himself or herself when and how they can ease their pain and suffering in a dignified manner."

The Congress of California Seniors, the California Commission on Aging, the National Organization of Women, the Older Women's League, Equality California and the American Civil Liberties Union support AB 651.

www.CompassionateChoices.org