So called “Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act which permits a qualified terminally ill patient to self-administer medication to end life in humane and dignified manner.” Passed by ONE vote! ONE VOTE!
Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Nicholas Scutari confer before vote in Senate Health Committee where Sweeney removed two Democrat NO votes so as to secure its passage out of committee. He put himself and Sen. Scutari who are both Prime Sponsors of the legislation has replacements. The bill would have tied in committee and stopped there if he had left it alone.
The law firm of Smith and Associates in Bloomfield, NJ has filed suit on behalf of Dr. Joseph Glassman, MD to stop the legalization of assisted suicide that Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law stating he was guided by his Catholic faith. The Temporary Restraining Order is based on the glaring fact there is zero regulatory oversight and guidance on the law.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer; “State agency regulations and health-system policies are still being formulated, although the state has promised “guidance” before the bill takes effect. Assemblyman John Burzichelli, the Gloucester County Democrat who was the lead sponsor of the Medical Aid in Dying bill, said that’s no reason to delay because the regulations will likely just duplicate what’s in the detailed bill.” Asm. Burzichelli promised ministers and Rabbi’s he would add safeguards to his legislation and then did not do it.
There are many dangers with this bill.
The Medical Insurance company can be a witness.
Last term when the Assembly passed assisted suicide, some Republicans brought up the fact that this bill allows medical insurance companies to be an acceptable agent to oversee that the patient truly wanted to commit suicide. The Democrat controlled Assembly voted to reject a move to send the bill back to committee, to amend the bill to remove this obvious conflict of interest. Sponsor Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D)West Deptford; promised multiple people that he would amend this bill to make it clear that medical insurance companies were biased witnesses and can not have anything to do with this process. However this year the bill remains unchanged in this regard, and still allows the most biased witness of all, the medical insurance companies, to witness the process that the patient “willingly” committed suicide.
This is unethical by any standard.
Another danger of the “Aid in Dying” bill AKA Physician Assisted Suicide. The bill increased witnesses for consent in a “Long Term Care Facility means a nursing home, assisted living residence, comprehensive personal care home, residential health care facility, or dementia care home licensed pursuant to P.L.1971,c136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.). Yes you can consent to assisted suicide while a resident in a dementia, Alzheimer’s unit. Facility personnel can witness your signature for consent while you have been diagnosed and now a resident in a dementia or Alzheimer’s facility.
There are no witnesses required when the drug to end the life of the person is administered.