Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Overturns Calif. Aid-In-Dying Law, Saying Legislature Illegally Passed Bill In Special Health Care Session
Betsy Davis threw herself a party before becoming one of the first people to use a California law allowing her to take her own life in 2016. Her sister and other advocates fear others won't have the same choice after a Riverside County judge threw out the law Tuesday because he said it was unconstitutionally approved by the Legislature. Superior Court Judge Daniel Ottolia ruled lawmakers illegally passed the law during a special session devoted to other topics, but he gave the state attorney general five days to appeal. (Thompson, 5/16)
In a statement emailed to The Times, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said: "We strongly disagree with this ruling and the state is seeking expedited review in the Court of Appeal." California's law allows patients with less than six months to live to request end-of-life drugs from their doctors, a practice that has been allowed in Oregon for more than 20 years. Now, nearly 1 in 5 Americans live in a state where physician-assisted suicide is legal, according to advocacy group Compassion and Choices. (Karlamangla, 5/15)
It's likely Attorney General Xavier Becerra will appeal Ottolia's decision. It's also possible that Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democratic-controlled Legislature, which is in session through August, could move to re-pass the law in regular session to settle the procedural objections. Senate Majority Leader Bill Monning's office said Monning is talking with the Becerra's office about options to preserve the law. (Meyer, 5/15)
If the state is unsuccessful in defending the law, Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, vowed to re-introduce the measure before the full legislature. 鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed and distressed. They were grasping for a reason,鈥 said Monning. 鈥淭here will always be a future option to reintroduce the same legislation 鈥 nothing prohibits us from doing that. But that鈥檚 not the option we hope for.鈥 (Krieger, 5/15)
Nearly two years after it took effect, California's controversial assisted death law is back in limbo. A judge in Riverside County on Tuesday overturned the law because of concerns about how it was passed by the Legislature. (Koseff, 5/16)
