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."

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I know I am seeing things. I have made so many typos.

[OXENinFLA]

FIVE YEARS from now I hope to see Terri on TV telling her story!

[CindyDawg]

I was hoping today that the judge would give guardianship to the state while the disability organization investigated but I haven't heard anything.

[varina davis]

Polk County is "old Florida," down home sort of folks. They wouldn't want Terri to die.

[Lanza]

It could happen!

[dixiegrrl]

I love what he said abot felos being from the hemlock society.

[dixiegrrl]

That is about

[NautiNurse]

I have grave concerns about her condition without water this long.

[incindiary]

What do they need, a 2/3rds or a just a majority?

[dixiegrrl]

2/3 I think.

[Marie Antoinette]

This is the man who introduced the bill in the first place. So I think THIS IS IT

[shezza]

VOTING NOW 68-yea, 23-nay IT PASSES!!!!!!

[yesnettv]

The bill pased!

[Gelato]

Rep. Stargel:

I started looking at this case, and asking why. This is not the bill that I came up with. This is legal, this is a way that we can move forward and save this person’s life. When I thought of Persistent Vegetative State, I thought of comatose. I didn’t think of a person who would open their eyes, look around the room, try to speak.

Shortly after Mr. Shiavo won his award, he ordered his nurses to stop helping Mrs. Shiavo, to help death come about her more quickly. He could have left her, and her parents taken over. He did not do that.

This bill is tightly-crafted, to the governor’s call. I urge you to vote for this bill.

[ChemistCat]

2/3 is almost impossible to achieve. :*(

[WackySam]

IT PASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HungarianGypsy]

did i hear right? it passed?

[Gelato]

PASSED!!

[NautiNurse]

IT'S A YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mickie]

YES..........THEBILL HAS JUST PASSED!!!