Prevent Florida State Senator James King From Blocking Terr's Law

October 20, 2003 | nickcarraway

[nickcarraway]

Florida Governor Jeb Bush is finally pursuing a course to save the life of Terri Schiavo. Governor Bush is calling a special session of the Florida legislatureon Monday to pass legislation that he worked on with Florida Speaker of the House Johnnie Byrd. ``Terri's Bill'' would immediately suspend all dehydration and starvation deaths in the state.

LifeNews.com, however is reporting that one man is the greatest obstacle to this happening, Florida Senate President Jim King, the man who controls the state Senate's agenda.

It's obviously important that we contact all state representatives, Senators, and other parties, but it is absolutely critical we put the pressure on Senator King!

Senator James E. "Jim" King, Jr.is the state Senator from Florida's district 8, which covers parts of Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, and Volusia counties. Especially if you live in his district, please call him and tell him that he needs to listen to Governor Bush and Speaker Byrd and put this on the agenda tomorrow. Tell him you think this bill needs to be passed ASAP. And call any relatives or friends you have who live in that district to call (or email) him. Right now, he may be the one person with the most power to stop this bill. Let's let him know it needs to get passed. He needs some serious Freeping!

You can read more about this on these threads:

Florida Legislature Plans Special Session That May Help Terri Schiavo

Speaker of the House, Johnnie Byrd to introduce “Terri’s Bill”

LIVE FROM TERRI'S VIGIL - EMERGENCY - LEGISLATIVE SESSION - CALL FLORIDA REPS NOW!!

PLEASE HELP TERRI - A BILL IS BEING INTRODUCED TOMORROW

[iowamomforfreedom]

"Important point: If you have given any money to Senator King, or belong to an organization that has, MAKE SURE YOU MENTION IT. Those are the calls that a politician pays attention to most."

Excellent point!

[iowamomforfreedom]

Does George Felos do criminal law?

Won't matter. Hopefully he'll be in need of a lawyer himself by the time this is done.

[iowamomforfreedom]

I think it was excellent, Qwinn. From everything I have read you had it right. Very diplomatic, yet firmly making the point. Great job!

[shhrubbery!]

I heard Everett Koop once say about the Karen Ann Quinlan case, that we should be very careful to start what we cannot stop.

Koop seems like a nice man, but he was wrong in his AIDS policy. It's a disservice to imply that we should not even try to save patients in dire distress, just because we fear their becoming "vegetables."

And I have always had questions about the Karen Ann Quinlan. She was more accurately described as being "comatose" than is Terri. But IIRC, upon autopsy it was found that far less of her brain had been destroyed than originally thought. I wonder if doctors too soon led her adoptive parents to believe there was no hope, so that therapy was never tried.

[iowamomforfreedom]

"Do you think George Felos might have had some input into the writing of "Death with Dignity?" I mean, since they both have been members of the Florida Hospice Board ~ makes you wonder ..."

If this was the bill passed in 1999 to add feeding tubes to the list of life support measures, then yes, Felos was involved, from what I have read.

[tutstar]

I am in his district! Will email all my local contacts!

[DallasMike]

Florida Governor Jeb Bush is finally pursuing a course to save the life of Terri Schiavo.

Finally? I imagine that he's been pursuing this course all along. It's just been behind-the-scenes work that we weren't privy to see and thus many here made the erroneous assumption that Governor Bush wasn't doing anything at all.

Some people will look for any reason to bash a Bush.

[iowamomforfreedom]

"I would like to point out that refusal or cessation of feeding tubes is part of some of the most common Living Will/Death with Dignity forms. Presumably passage of this so-called Terri's Law will interfere with many of the Living Wills."

If they include a clause that states that if declining sustanence is specifically indicated in the living will, it would still be valid. I think that would eliminate that problem.

[MarMema]

Also call Senator Alexander if you can....I have a bad feeling about him after speaking with his aid just now.

850-487-5044

Let me know what they say to you, if you would.

[MarMema]

I imagine that he's been pursuing this course all along

That was my husband's view as well. Mine was a tad less positive. I had great sympathy for Jeb but figured there was not much if anything he could do. Still I did send him emails and calls....telling him I was praying for him to find a way.

[tutstar]

CAN I SHOUT?????
Just got off the phone with King's Jacksonville office. The lady told me the special session was called to address budget issues and that Byrd may introduce Terri's Bill but that it will have no effect on Terri's situation...the Gov has no constitutional authority to intervene. I asked her if she had read the briefs herself---no. I gave her Terri's site and asked her to please read them herself. Told her noone who reads them believes the Gov can't do something.
She did say that if he can include the Bill he would.
I told her I would not vote for him again if he didn't!

CORRECT PHONE # FOR JIM KING IS 850-487-5229

[tutstar]

see my 111

[tutstar]

The lady also told me something about opinions not having a place in the situation because it is a civil matter. I told her we elect them based on their opinions so their opinions have to come into play. I do think she cares, but that she has on her gov't employee hat.

[tutstar]

CORRECT PHONE # FOR JIM KING IS 850-487-5229

[MarMema]

Just spoke at length with a woman from this office. She says Senator King is not in favor of Terri being dehydrated and she is having a very bad day. :-) Senator King, she says would never stop debate on this topic, it is not what he is all about. A near quote from her directly there which I told her I would post. I am thinking she is getting hit hard and heavy with phone calls.

Call Senator Alexander's office. I think they need freeping. 850- 487-5044

Let's not neglect the others....

[MarMema]

Ping, I am calling each office individually here. God forgive me - when they ask where I am calling from I tell them Seattle and also that I do a newsletter for the many Orthodox churches in that area. Then I tell them we are going to make public to each church ( and Florida has a lot of Orthodox, a lot!) who voted which way. And this I will definitely do...

[MarMema]

Yeah I think she is waffling some on this and King badly needed freeping. Most staff are telling me that there has been no bill introduced yet, etc, etc.

[MarMema]

How about you and I call each one and ask their position, then report back here as to what they say?

I'll continue downward from the A's if you want to start from the bottom and work upward? What do you think?

phone numbers here

[MarMema]

Senator Nancy Argenziano - "I don't know her position, she has been in meetings all morning" etc, etc, etc.

[MarMema]

We need a thread to stay on for this action. Are you willing to come here?