For the second year in a row, a bill that would allow doctor-assisted death for the terminally ill has died in the California Assembly. Supporters say they just couldn't overcome the influence of the Catholic Church. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.
The measure would have allowed people who are given fewer than three months to live to request a lethal dose of drugs from a doctor.
Officials from the Catholic Church lobbied hard against the bill. They called supporters part of “the culture of death.”
Assemblyman Lloyd Levine co-wrote the bill. He says too many lawmakers allowed the church to influence their position.
Levine : We here in America were founded on the separation of church and state. And I guess these days maybe the words separation of church and state are spoken, but their meaning isn't understood.
Lloyd says he'll try to further educate his colleagues on the issue, and may bring the measure back next year.
Oregon is the only state that allows doctor-assisted death for the terminally ill.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
