Judge overturns law legalizing assisted suicide in California

In 2015, California officially legalized assisted suicide. Despite intense opposition from both religious and disability rights groups, as well as doctors, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law, claiming he considered what he would want, saying, “In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death.” But now, almost two years after it took effect, a Riverside judge has overturned the law.
Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ottolia ruled that the California legislature violated the state constitution by passing the law during a special session that was supposed to be dedicated to Medicare funding. Therefore, he argued, the law should not have been approved. A group of doctors later sued to stop the law and are applauding Ottolia’s decision.
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