SAN DIEGO (AP) – It will soon be legal for the terminally ill to end their own lives in the nation’s most populous state, and right-to-die advocates expect other states to follow California’s example.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Monday that allows such physician-assisted deaths, marking a major victory for proponents who spent decades and millions of dollars pushing through such a measure.
California marks a turning point, and its legislation includes more safeguards than the other four states where the practice is legal, the law’s supporters say. They are now focusing on New Jersey, where the state Senate is slated to debate a similar bill this fall, and Massachusetts, where a legislative hearing on the issue is set for this month.
“My phone has been ringing off the hook with people who now want to bring forth bills,” said Jessica Grennan at Compassion and Choices, a national advocacy group leading the fight. “I think what happened in California is definitely going to inspire people across the country to honor these options at the end of life.”
But opponents say they will be beefing up their fight as well.