Dive Brief:
- On Tuesday, a "right to die" measure will be heard in a special session of the California legislature called by Gov. Jerry Brown (D).
- In July, the bill was pulled from consideration in the state legislature's regular session.
- Currently, assisted suicide is legal in four states: Washington, Oregon, Vermont and Montana.
Dive Insight:
One interesting parliamentary development for the special session: The health panel that holds hearings Tuesday is made up of different members than the same committee in the regular legislative session. That has some supporters feeling better about the bill's chances of getting through the more conservative state Assembly. The state Senate passed a measure in the regular session earlier this year and presumably would do so again in a special session.
This spring, California Medical Association removed its opposition to the measure. However, it still has strong opposition from the Catholic Church, which is a powerful political force in the districts of some lawmakers.