A California bill that would have allowed terminally ill patients to end their lives legally was delayed due to a lack of votes and opposition from religious groups, according to reports on Tuesday.
The bill (S.B. 128), called the "End of Life Option Act," was planned to be passed on to the Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday after having been approved by the state Senate. However, authors of the bill decided not to present it to the Committee due to a lack of support, and with the deadline for bill approvals fast approaching. The bill will likely not be taken up until next year, according to reports.
"We continue to work with Assembly members to ensure they are comfortable with the bill," Senators Bill Monning (D-Carmel) and Lois Wolk (D-Davis), and Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) said in a statement.
"For dying Californians, like Jennifer Glass, who was scheduled to testify today, this issue is urgent," the statement continues. "It is urgent for Christy O'Deonnell, for Michael Saum and hundreds of other Californians. We remain committed to passing the End of Life Option Act for all Californians who want and need the option of medical aid in dying."
The Roman Catholic Church has been one of the strongest opponents to the bill, and lobbied heavily against it. Democratic members of the Assembly of Health Committee maintained a stance of opposition as a result, as they represent Latino districts, many of whom are Roman Catholic. Religious groups maintain that such a bill is promoting an action against God's will for life.
"Medicine is organized to promote wellness, not death," Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) told the Los Angeles Times.
Some physicians have also shown opposition to the bill, including the Northern California Oncologists and the Medical Oncology Association of Southern California.
"No amendments can change the fact that 'an act that directly causes the patient's death' is contrary to the role of the physician," the two groups stated.
Lobbying and opposition from religious groups also prevented a similar measure from being passed as California legislation in 2007.
