KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The End of Life Act passed the Assembly Finance Committee Friday and is expected to head to the California State Assembly floor Tuesday. Leader and advocate for the act, Christy O’Donnell, came into the KHTS AM-1220 station Thursday to speak about the bill.
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O’Donnell — a single-mom, civil rights attorney and former LAPD sergeant — has brain, liver, lung, rib and spine cancer. She’s morphine intolerant and is going to die painfully from her illness.
She is also the lead plaintiff in a suit asserting the California constitution and state law allow terminally ill adults the option of medical aid in dying.
Previous Story: End Of Life Option Act Passes Out Of Special Session Health Committee
AB2x15 would allow mentally-capable, terminally-ill adults the option to request a doctor’s prescription for aid-in-dying drugs to painlessly and peacefully hasten their death, according to a news release.
Senator Sharon Runner, R-Antelope Valley, says she is against the End of Life Act.
“This bill strikes a very personal chord for me, as I was terminally ill just a few years ago,” Runner said. “I would not be here today without my lung transplant. It was a long and difficult process, and I struggled through many painful days. But, look at the life I have now. I believe life is sacred; it begins at conception and ends when it is meant to end. We should not force the issue.”
The bill passed out of the special session health committee in a vote of 10 – 3 Tuesday. It also passed the Assembly Finance Committee with a 5-3 vote.
Related Story: KHTS AM-1220 Talks To Santa Clarita Woman Fighting To Die With Dignity
“The pain is pretty significant now (compared) to when I was in here, what a month ago,” O’Donnell said. “I take a lot of percocet. I take a lot of it and it barely takes the edge off the pain. I’m really at the end of my treatment.”
O’Donnell is just one of hundred of terminally ill patients in the Santa Clarita Valley, she says. She belongs to a stage IV cancer support group with many of them.
“If you believe in this at all, even if it’s not a choice for yourself, if you believe other people should have a choice, you have to act now because what’s happening is that the governor called an exigent emergency session that they’re trying to pass the bill through on. So, we literally have a few days,” O’Donnell said. There’s a judiciary committee vote, a finance committee vote and then this bill goes to the entire Assembly and we’re so close.”
For more information about the End of Life Act, visit the Compassion & Choices website.
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.
Senator Sharon Runner is either not very bright or she is purposely misunderstanding the End of Life initiative. Either way she should not be in a position of any authority.
First: The End of Life Act is not forcing her to end her life prematurely (although someone this dumb or indifferent to other peoples suffering makes me wonder if that provision should be added). SECOND: Senator Runner clearly had an option to “save” her life (probably after smoking too many cigarettes) that Ms. O-Donnel does not. Terminal Brain, liver, spine, lung and rib cancer is a death sentence and a painful one.
I wonder what the person, who’s lung Senator Runner acquired, would say?
Ms. Runner, as with so many people, foist their personal views upon the public based on their own histories and/or religious backgrounds. The ultimate problem with this is that in Ms. Runner’s case, she is *supposed* to be *representing* an entire constituency — not her own narrowly-focused agenda. As with Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, this woman is suffering from abuse of power and needs to be reminded she was elected, not to represent her *own* mindset but a group of people.
Thank you KHTS and I appreciate the listeners comments. Once again our KHTS Hometown Station has done an amazing and brave thing by supporting a person’s right to “choose” a peaceful death. DJ T Thresa Katz-Richardson you are amazing!
I personally continue to be disappointed that our SCV Assemblymember Wilk and Senator Runner voted NO on this Bill and failed to support so many dying and suffering families in our amazing SCV community. Worse, Sen Runner didn’t just vote NO she stood and looked into my eyes while I was seated on the Senate Floor crying and callously spoke about there being no need for this law solely because she was able to receive a lung transplant. She medically could not have been standing in my shoes, because there isn’t any organ donor program that is going to give me a new lung when cancer has spread throughout my body. Further, you weren’t voted in just to follow your own personal beliefs. You owe a duty to this community to hear all opinions and only then do what is right by your constituents. Sen Runner I would love the opportunity to discuss this Bill with you, as Assemblymember Wilk extended me the courtesy of doing. While he did ultimately vote against the Bill he did not use the public Senate floor to personally humiliate me and all the other suffering terminally ill families in SCV. (Please note this is my personal opinion and not that of KHTS – the lawyer in me wanted to make this disclaimer)