Austin, TX --The publicity surrounding the struggle to save the life of Andrea Clark - sentenced to die under Texas' "Futile Care" Statute - has brought attention once again to little known hospital policies regarding so-called "futility", Diane Coleman says, president and founder of the national disability rights group Not Dead Yet which opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
There is also a second case in Texas right now that hasn't gotten as much attention involving a Vietnamese woman named Yenlang Vo, in Austin, TX. Ms. Clark is in a hospital in Houston.
Disability Advocates: Euthanize Texas Futile Care Law
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The Florida judge who presided over the Terri Schiavo case and ruled her feeding tube should be removed told a bioethics symposium that lawmakers are ill-equipped to make right-to-die decisions.
Pinellas County Circuit Judge George W. Greer, in brief remarks at the University of Pennsylvania on Monday, said that 30 state and federal judges painstakingly reviewed the many volumes of testimony and evidence submitted in the divisive case.
Judge: Right-To-Die Choices Not Lawmakers'
Meanwhile the lone voices in the wilderness print something a bit different. No AP to pick up stories like this...
Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) -- The local judge responsible for authorizing Terri Schiavo's painful 13-day starvation and dehydration death bashed Florida lawmakers at a bioethics conference for passing a law that allowed Governor Jeb Bush to step in and save her life. Circuit Court Judge George Greer said legislators should not be involved in end of life decisions.
Speaking at a bioethics forum sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, Greer claimed state legislators are unable to make quality decisions about important issues surrounding medical treatment for the disabled or terminally ill.
Judge Who Authorized Euthanasia Death for Terri Schiavo Blasts Lawmakers
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TELL EM WHAT YOU THINK!!
The (Texas House) Committee on Public Health
Legislative Session: 79(3)
Appointment Date: 01/27/2005
Clerk: Tom McCarty Phone: (512) 463-0806 Room: EXT E2.118
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/committees/cmtembrs.d2w/report?LEG=79&SESS=3&CMTECODE=C410&CHAMBER=H&CTYPE=House
has an "interim study" in progress to "study" the Texas futile care
law. They plan hearings on the law for "sometime" this summer. No date
set.
The public may contribute to the "interim study" by voicing their
opinion in contributing materials to that committee.
We can:
a) Tell them today about how evil the futile care law is
via the lense of Andrea Clark
b) Insist that they hold hearings soon, put a date on the
calendar, and tell them we want the bill repealed.
The parallel committee in the Senate is:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/committees/cmtembrs.d2w/report?LEG=79&SESS=3&CMTECODE=C610&CHAMBER=S&CTYPE=Senate
Committee on Health & Human Services
Legislative Session: 79(3)
Appointment Date: 01/28/2005
Clerk: Kevin Jackson Phone: (512) 463-0360 Room: SHB 420