Minnesota
Starvation and Dehydration
of Persons with Disabilities Prevention Act
The title above is the name of a proposed law
for the State of Minnesota.
This proposal was defeated in committee in Minnesota in 2006.
But it might be resurrected in a new form in some future year.
Also other state legislatures have also confronted such attempts.
And those opposing any such legislation
might benefit from our efforts in Minnesota.
Such laws were proposed in the wake of the Terri
Schiavo case,
which ended with her final death in 2005
when her feeding-tube was removed.
Many people still believe that Terri Schiavo's body should have been
kept 'alive'
even tho there was overwhelming evidence
that she was in a persistent vegetative state.
Thus new state laws have been proposed
to prevent disconnecting life-support systems
from patients in PVS unless there is clear and convincing evidence
that such disconnection would have been chosen by the patient.
Here is a link to the text of this act as proposed
for Minnesota on our
website:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/HF3255.html
This was copied without change from the website of
the Minnesota House of Representatives:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H3255.1.html&session=ls84&print=1
This text has probably now disappeared or it will eventually disappear.
But it is possible to prove that this extreme law was proposed
by seaching Internet files for 2006.
The rest of his page contains links to various
official and unofficial responses to this proposed law.
Anyone who knows of additional responses we should link from here,
should write to the C&C-MN webmaster:
James Park: e-mail: PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU
Links will be made only with the approval
of the individual authors or
organizations.
If the individuals or organizations do not have their own website,
statements can be placed on the C&C-MN website, which you are
reading.
But all statements are the responsibility
of the named authors and
organizations
and do not necessary reflect the official stand
of Compassion &
Choices of Minnesota
or our national organization.
Talking Points on Health Decisions Restrictions Bills to Prevent
Feeding Tube Withdrawal
provided by the national office of COMPASSION & CHOICES
.
Letter to the
editor of the StarTribune by JANET CONN, President of C&C-MN
.
JANET CONN's
testimony for the legislative committee hearing this bill .
JANET CONN's
account of her appearance before the committee .
Commentary by
JAMES PARK, existential philosopher and C&C-MN Board member
.
The official
position adopted by the Board of Directors of
COMPASSION & CHOICES OF MINNESOTA.