MAAS's Great Falls event at the Hilton Garden Inn on June 29, 2013 was a great success! Keynote speaker Alex Schadenberg provided good humor and shared his wealth of knowledge of the international situation on assisted suicide.
Washington State Attorney, Margaret Dore, provided extensive course materials, which can be viewed by clicking here. Attorneys were provided 1.0 CLE credit.
Feedback comments included: "I was very moved by the personal stories of the presenters" and "Carol Mungas, Carley Robertson, very powerful personal testimonies." To view other comments, please click here.
To view the event flyer, click here. To sponsor a similar event in your community, please click here.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Beware of Vultures: Senator Jennifer Fielder on Compassion & Choices
"[I]t seems odd that the top lobby spender in Montana this year was Compassion and Choices, a 'nonprofit' group that spent $160,356 advocating for legalization of assisted suicide."
By Senator Jennifer Fielder
As we wrangled through the budget this spring, the beautiful state capitol began to feel like a big, ripe carcass with a dark cloud of vultures circling about.
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| Senator Jennifer Fielder |
The magnitude of money in government attracts far more folks who want to be on the receiving end than it does those who just want fair and functional government. Until that ratio improves, it may be impossible to rein in unnecessary regulation and spending.
Special interest groups spent over $6 million dollars on lobbyists to pressure Montana legislators during the 2013 session. Seems like a lot of money, until you compare it to the billions of taxpayer dollars at stake. Does the average taxpayer stand a chance against organized forces like that?
Assisted suicide: Senate bill was defeated
http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_f38cc835-638d-59c1-bd88-880c1cb3c1c8.html
June 09, 2013 9:45 am
I was appalled to read Charles Johnson’s article implying that assisted suicide is legal in Montana. To the contrary, Senate Bill 220, which had sought to legalize assisted-suicide, was defeated in committee during the 2013 legislative session. The bill was tabled, nine votes to three. See www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/p/sb-220-tabled.html.
June 09, 2013 9:45 am
I was appalled to read Charles Johnson’s article implying that assisted suicide is legal in Montana. To the contrary, Senate Bill 220, which had sought to legalize assisted-suicide, was defeated in committee during the 2013 legislative session. The bill was tabled, nine votes to three. See www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/p/sb-220-tabled.html.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Individuals and Groups Who Worked with MAAS in the 2013 Legislative Session
The following is a sampling of individuals and groups who worked with Montanans Against Assisted Suicide during the 2013 legislative session:
1. 112 Montana doctors who joined together to support HB 505. See this link for their press release: http://www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/2013/03/112-montana-physicians-who-support-hb.html
2. The national disability rights group, Not Dead Yet, with members in Montana, endorsed HB 505. See http://www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/2013/03/not-dead-yet-supports-hb-505.html
3. Carol Mungas, the widow of a prominent physician who was euthanized by nurses against his will in Great Falls, endorsed HB 505. See http://www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/2013/03/i-support-house-bill-505-which-clearly.html
We're Doing some Summer Cleaning - Please excuse the mess
If the site "looks funny," we're doing updates on the site.
It will be back to normal soon.
Thanks so much!
It will be back to normal soon.
Thanks so much!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Assisted suicide is still not legal
http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/mailbag/dignity-in-death-assisted-suicide-is-still-not-legal/article_1e19a630-b332-11e2-8c96-0019bb2963f4.html
May 2, 2013
I disagree that the defeat of House Bill 505 somehow renders assisted suicide legal under the Montana Supreme Court case, Baxter v. State. (“Montana Senate rejects doctor-assisted suicide bill”).
In the 2011 legislative session, Sen. Anders Blewett and I introduced competing bills in response to Baxter, which did not legalize assisted suicide. Baxter does, however, have toe-in-the-door type language, which invites legalization in the future. Neither bill passed. His bill had sought to legalize assisted suicide; mine had sought to reverse Baxter.
During the hearing on Blewett’s bill, he conceded that assisted suicide was not legal under Baxter. He said: “under the current law ... there’s nothing to protect the doctor from prosecution.” Dr. Stephen Speckart provided similar testimony: “most physicians feel significant dis-ease with the limited safeguards and possible risk of criminal prosecution after the Baxter decision.” (To view a transcript, see http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/blewett_speckhart_trans_001.pdf .)
This session, there was a similar situation. SB220, which had sought to legalize assisted suicide, was defeated. HB505, which would have reversed Baxter, was also defeated.
In other words, Baxter, which did not legalize assisted suicide, remains the law. Assisted suicide is not legal in Montana. For more information, see www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/p/baxter-case-analysis.html .
Greg Hinkle,
Senator (ret.)
Thompson Falls
May 2, 2013
I disagree that the defeat of House Bill 505 somehow renders assisted suicide legal under the Montana Supreme Court case, Baxter v. State. (“Montana Senate rejects doctor-assisted suicide bill”).
In the 2011 legislative session, Sen. Anders Blewett and I introduced competing bills in response to Baxter, which did not legalize assisted suicide. Baxter does, however, have toe-in-the-door type language, which invites legalization in the future. Neither bill passed. His bill had sought to legalize assisted suicide; mine had sought to reverse Baxter.
During the hearing on Blewett’s bill, he conceded that assisted suicide was not legal under Baxter. He said: “under the current law ... there’s nothing to protect the doctor from prosecution.” Dr. Stephen Speckart provided similar testimony: “most physicians feel significant dis-ease with the limited safeguards and possible risk of criminal prosecution after the Baxter decision.” (To view a transcript, see http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/blewett_speckhart_trans_001.pdf .)
This session, there was a similar situation. SB220, which had sought to legalize assisted suicide, was defeated. HB505, which would have reversed Baxter, was also defeated.
In other words, Baxter, which did not legalize assisted suicide, remains the law. Assisted suicide is not legal in Montana. For more information, see www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/p/baxter-case-analysis.html .
Greg Hinkle,
Senator (ret.)
Thompson Falls
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