"Now, from the station you
count on for local news that
matters, this is KARK 4 News
at 6."
((BOB)) A NEW BILL WOULD ALLOW
TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS TO END
THEIR LIVES WITH THE HELP OF A
DOCTOR.
((BOB)) GOOD EVENING AND
THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR KARK
4 NEWS AT SIX. I'M BOB
CLAUSEN. ((ASHLEY)) AND I'M
ASHLEY KETZ. A HANDFUL OF
STATES HAVE PASSED THESE DEATH
WITH DIGNITY LAWS. KARK 4'S
JESSI TURNURE JOINS US IN
STUDIO WITH THE PROPOSAL AT
THE STATE CAPITOL.
((JESSI)) THE BILL WOULD
CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE
STATE'S BAN ON PHYSICIANá
ASSISTED SUICIDE. IT'S GETTING
STRONG OPINIONS FROM THOSE ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE.
been in a room and you hear a
pop and it's the bone breaking
from the pressure of the
cancer inside." REPRESENTATIVE
DAN DOUGLAS FILED A DEATH WITH
DIGNITY BILL FOR TERMINALLY
ILL PATIENTS. IT WOULD ALLOW
DOCTORS TO PRESCRIBE THEM WITH
LETHAL DOSES OF MEDICINE THEY
COULD GET FROM A PHARMACIST TO
END THEIR LIVES... IF THEY
PROVE TO BE CLEAR OF MIND.
((St. Rep. Dan Douglas/ (R)
Bentonville)) "Really it's
quite a bit of paperwork and a
lot of red tape and
discussions with the family
and the patient." A
FAITHáBASED GROUP WANTS TO
SAYS THE STATE HAS RESOURCES
FOR TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS...
LIKE HOSPICE. HE'S ALSO
CONCERNED ABOUT LOOPHOLES IN
THE LEGISLATION. ((Jerry
Cox/Family Council President))
"They could be getting the
drugs to kill somebody else if
they wanted to." COX IS HOPING
ARKANSAS' PROáLIFE LEGISLATURE
DELIVERS A SIMILAR VOTE IN
THIS CASE... IF IT GETS TO
THAT POINT. ((Jerry Cox/Family
Council President)) "Life is
sacred from the moment of
conception until natural
if that's what they want?"
((JESSI)) DOUGLAS MET WITH THE
HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE
ASSOCIATION OF ARKANSAS THIS
MORNING. THE ORGANIZATION TOLD
ME IT DOES NOT HAVE AN
OFFICIAL POSITION ON
PHYSICIANáASSISTED SUICIDE.
DOUGLAS PLANS TO GET MORE
PUBLIC INPUT IN THE FOLLOWING
WEEKS BEFORE RUNNING THE BILL.
