The Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 31 passed Assembly Bill 374, legislation legalizing assisted suicide, paving the way for a floor vote by June 8 --- or not.

Authors of the controversial bill allowing terminally ill patients to obtain lethal doses of medication from their doctor may not decide to risk defeat in a floor vote this week, repeating action taken in 2005 when a similar bill passed an Assembly Committee but was dropped due to lack of support.

If the bill's authors don't think they have the votes for passage, opponents predict, they will either make the physician-assisted suicide measure a two-year bill allowing more time to garner support, or employ the "gut and amend" procedure they used on last year's failed assisted suicide bill, AB 654/AB 651.

Saying the bill's passage out of the Assembly's Appropriations Committee was "no surprise," Tim Rosales of Californians Against Assisted Suicide stated members of the coalition are "cautiously optimistic" that the bill will once again be defeated in spite of intense last-minute lobbying by supporters.

"The coalition has had a lot of contact with legislators and conversations have been good. They understand the diversity of arguments," said Rosales. He noted the American Medical Association, the California Medical Association and various disability groups oppose AB 374. (A list of opponents is available at www.ca-aas.com/ourcoalition.asp.)

"Assisted suicide is a fatally flawed bill and concept that has been defeated with bi-partisan votes in 1999, 2005 and 2006," said Rosales. "Legislators understand that this bill will have tragic consequences on individuals with serious illness and disability especially in our HMO driven, cost cutting health care system."

Opponents of AB 374 argue that the bill will put the lives of the poor in jeopardy since low-income people have the most difficulty getting access to healthcare. In a "bottom-line" mentality society, the cheaper lethal prescription approach will be perceived as fiscally prudent to avoid more costly medical care.

Legalizing physician-assisted suicide will also negatively affect people's attitudes about providing care to the disabled, elderly and infirm, say opponents. What is now being promoted as a "choice" in dying will rapidly become a responsibility to society and family to opt for physician-assisted suicide rather than deserved loving care.