(LifeSiteNews) – The first U.S. state that legalized doctors killing sick patients has now passed a bill that critics say will allow healthcare givers to starve to death mentally ill patients.
Oregon’s Senate passed House Bill 4135 on Tuesday (17-12) and in the House two weeks ago (35-25). Touted as an update to Oregon’s Advance Directive Form, critics say the bill paves the way for healthcare givers to remove access to food and water for vulnerable Oregonians with illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Oregon Right to Life (ORTL) Executive Director Lois Anderson says the effect of the bill is that “vulnerable Oregonians are left without protections and their right to basic care like food and water.”
“The advance directive was put into Oregon statute back in 1993,” State Rep. Bill Kennemer (R) explained, adding that it was “very well vetted” and “thoroughly discussed.”
“If it were to be removed from statute, I fear the legal protections we carefully placed there could be jeopardized, potentially harming end of life decisions for vulnerable patients,” he added. CONTINUE