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."

[WackySam]

Is what I'm hearing a LIVE feed?

YES!

[Calpernia]

That is what really bothers me at this point. What if the tube goes back in now? AND this bill passes. That would be a cruel joke.

[agrace]

Listen to live discussion now

[incindiary]

But as a Christian, I am curious why you are so afraid of death and are fighting this so hard.

Because she is being murdered.

[Hunble]

If it is not the wish of God for her to die, do you honestly think that anything Man does could kill her?

Is your faith in God that weak? Or, is Man so much more powerful than God?

Please do not get me wrong, since you and others have been doing an outstanding job.

[PleaseNoMore]

I am unable to hear this. My PC is sound impaired. Can someone fill us who can't hear it in on the he saids/she saids??

[OXENinFLA]

BUIM! thanks for the link!!!!!

[WackySam]

From what I have just read the legislature is in session and the resolution proposed by Jeb has just been read. There is a site that allows you listen but I don't know where it is. Maybe someone else can help??

See #19

[GovernmentShrinker]

I have a feeling his new toy is in for a rude shock a couple of years down the road. Michael appears to have been focused for a number of years on getting his old toy out of the way so he could enjoy playing with his new toy without any distractions, and with lots of money. But he sounds like the type of guy who will soon tire of the new toy, and find a NEW new toy to spend his time and money on. BTW, does anyone know what he does for a living?

[blueriver]

Please go to baynews9.com and vote - the question is Do you think the Florida Legislature is doing the right thing by getting involved in the Terri Schiavo case?
Please vote yes. Also you can place comments.
http://www.baynews9.com/site/Chat.cfm?chatid=178&CFID=14253529&CFTOKEN=35937133

[yesnettv]

He is an RN

[supercat]

That is what really bothers me at this point. What if the tube goes back in now? AND this bill passes. That would be a cruel joke.

I suspect it to be the deliberate intention of some of the people involved that Terri end up as a vegetable as a result of all this, so then they can say "See? See? I told you she was a vegetable."

[WackySam]

They are now discussing the Constitutionality of the bill with the opposition.

[ChemistCat]

Ten years or more at least. It's something I ran into when my son's autism was first diagnosed and I was around a lot of people whose job in life (to ME, at that time) was to make me realize I had it easy. The person looks at an alphabet on a chart, and the computer picks up the eye movements and puts it up on screen. Amounts to a very slow word processor, for severely impaired people, though when the news guy tried it it worked pretty fast for him once he got the hang of it. It works even when a person has difficulty controlling his or her eye movements, since erratic movements can be ignored by the computer. I think it was on 60 Minutes. Remarkable technology! And rather cheap as these things go. Of course I can't be certain that Terri could have done it but the point is that Mr. Schiavo never let anything like that be tried. He curtailed any and all therapy that might have helped her build new neural networks for communication and coordinated, purposeful movement.

My luck with Google lately has been awful. I don't know what it is but I can't find anything on there anymore. I just get porn and weird stuff back when I try to look for anything, even recipes.

[Theodore R.]

If it is not the wish of God for her to die, do you honestly think that anything Man does could kill her?

God is not the author of confusion and evil. Evil man took it upon himself to get rid of an "inconvenient" person. God is not a part of this. Perhaps he could give her a little manna from heaven right now to sustain her a few hours longer.

[WackySam]

They are now discussing the Constitutionality of the bill with the opposition.

[supercat]

Terri communicates with her eyes. There is technology available that could have made it possible for her to have communicated complete thoughts.

Thats great. What technology is that? How long has it been around?

Any person who has even one muscle they can control voluntarily can operate a communications device. The technology isn't particularly new; Steven Hawking has had his for over a decade. Whether Terri would, or would have, been able to operate such a device is unclear, but any guardian who actually had her best interests at heart would have been able to find out.

[OXENinFLA]

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CRACK THE DOOR OF EUTHANASIA!?!?!?

[Calpernia]

I feel sick.

[hedgetrimmer]

The person speaking right now is obfuscating. He says the bill is about staying a court order and creating an imperial governor.

What about an imperial judge? What about an imperial judge who is deciding life or death for an innocent person?