FLA. LAWMAKERS MAY PASS TUBE-FEEDING LAW (LEGISLATURE MEETING TONIGHT, OCT. 20, TO PROPOSE BILL)

AP WIRE SERVICE ^ | OCT. 20, 2003 | AP WIRE

[varina davis]

Fla. Lawmakers May Pass Tube-Feeding Law

October 20, 2003 07:17 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida lawmakers were moving Monday to consider intervening in the case of a severely brain-damaged woman whose feeding tube was removed last week by her husband's order.

The Florida House scheduled a Monday night session to take up the issue. In the Senate, President Jim King said he will propose legislation that would give Gov. Jeb Bush the authority to order the feeding tube be reinserted to keep Terri Schiavo alive.

The tube was removed Wednesday following a decade-long court battle between Schiavo's parents and their son-in-law, who contends that he is carrying out her wishes not to be kept alive artificially.

"If we are to err - because time is of the essence - for goodness sake let us err on the side of caution," said King, a Republican.

Schiavo has been in what doctors call a vegetative state since her heart stopped in 1990 from a suspected potassium imbalance.

Bush told parents Bob and Mary Schindler last week that his staff would search for legal ways to save their daughter's life, but said Monday they haven't yet found a way.

"The legal ways, the remedies, don't exist," Bush said Monday, before the possible legislative moves became apparent.

Bush added, "I wish I could wave the magic wand and resolve this but every effort that we've had or every effort that has been proposed has either been thwarted by the courts or would be inappropriate."

Meanwhile, in a statement released through his lawyer, husband Michael Schiavo said Monday that he, too, is grieving, but "I did what I believe Terri would have wanted me to do."

[varina davis]

YEA! NO MORE FLORI--DUH! GO JEB...... GOD BLESS TERRI

[varina davis]

And Senate Pres. Jim King will propose the measure.

[ChemistCat]

THE LIES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MontanaBeth]

Run with it Florida, time is of the essence now.

[varina davis]

All I care about is that Florida saves Terri Shindler Shiavo.

[Chuckster]

Its a short article. Be specific.

[The Red Zone]

That is like the Grinch carving the roast beast.

[ChemistCat]

She is not in a vegetative state--I have seen that for myself, and Michael Schiavo is not grieving. I guess that's two lies. But there's a heck of a lot of lying by omission.

[yesnettv]

Read Michael's statement that he issued tonite. You will Puke! Damage control big time!

[The Red Zone]

Well like my cat and I posted elsewhere, Michael is probably feeling sorry for himself for breaking his first toy (Terri) and wants the garbage man to come ASAP and pick it up, not the repair man to come and fix it and in the process see just what he did.

[supercat]

She is not in a vegetative state

She still isn't? That'd be a miracle if true.

[The Red Zone]

Nothing from Terri's parents about this.

[lonevoice]

It's 8:17PM in Florida now. Does anyone know if the legislature is actually in session at this time? There've been so many conflicting reports about Terri's Bill today that I don't know what to believe!

[diamond6]

And what about that other Judge's ruling that was supposed to happen at the end of the day? Over here in California and in the dark.

[ChemistCat]

All right, I stand (very sadly) corrected. SHe is probably near death now. Happy?

(I know you're not.)

[yesnettv]

What did happen to that ruling?

[supercat]

All right, I stand (very sadly) corrected. SHe is probably near death now. Happy? (I know you're not.)

Quite distressed, actually. And thinking the 10-20 day timeframe of death in all those earlier reports was probably designed to make legislators think they had longer than they do.

[ChemistCat]

Where?

[WackySam]

HOUSE IN SESSION, TALKING ABOUT TERRI'S BILL!!!!
http://199.44.254.202/stations/channelA.asx

[diamond6]

I agree. I saw this and didn't get excited because who knows what articles are true and which ones aren't. I pray it is though.