Media Advisory For More Information
May 15, 2006 802-229-4885 (Office)
British House of Lords Defeats Bill to Legalize
Assisted Suicide Just
Days After Similar Legislation Is Blocked In A
On May, 12 2006, the British House of Lords voted 148-100 against a measure
that would have legalized assisted suicide in the European nation. The vote is
a huge victory for pro-life advocates, disability groups and doctors who
campaigned together to stop the bill from becoming law. For more information on
the debate in
The vote in the British House of
Lords came just days after the Chair of the Vermont Human Services Committee
called for a vote on H. 168, An Act
Relating to Death With Dignity. The vote, taken on Wednesday, May 3, 2006, was
5-5-1. Reps. Pugh, Fisher,
Frank, French and Haas voted in favor; Reps. Donahue, Koch, McAllister,
Niquette and Turner voted against; and Rep. Martin was absent for medical
reasons.
"For nearly a decade, Oregon has been the only state
to legalize assisted suicide in the US, and for the past few years national
euthanasia groups have looked to Vermont as the key to reviving their efforts," noted Mary Hahn Beerworth, Executive Director for the VT
Right to Life Committee. "Working
in conjunction with local suicide proponents those organizations invested
funds, hired top lobbying firms, employed a field director, released a public
opinion poll, and held informational forums around Vermont,"
Beerworth continued, "Yet, instead of victory in a Democrat
controlled House and Senate, the Bill was defeated in a single committee.”
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