Lawmakers in California have passed a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe a fatal dose of medication to a terminally-ill patient who requests it.
Oregon was the first state to pass such a law when voters approved the Death With Dignity Act in 1997. Since then, Washington, Montana, Vermont and New Mexico have joined Oregon.
Sometimes referred to as “doctor-assisted suicide,” proponents prefer the term “aid in dying.” But whatever you call it, whether it becomes law in America’s most populous state depends on whether California Governor Jerry Brown signs or vetoes the bill now on his desk.
JPR’s Liam Moriarty speaks with Ben Adler, Capital Bureau Chief with Capital Public Radio in Sacramento.
