The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear an appeal from the decision of the British Columbia Court of Appeal, which overturned a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that approved physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. Carter v. Canada (Attorney General).
Missouri House Bill 1430 introduced
Representative Timothy Jones has introduced House Bill 1430 in the Missouri House of Representatives. The bill largely replicates one that passed the House in 2013 but failed to pass the state Senate. It is a procedure-specific bill that provides protection of conscience for individuals and institutions.
New Jersey assisted suicide bill offers limited protection of conscience
Assembly Bill 2270 (2014) Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act
Some protection of conscience provisions are found in an assisted suicide bill introduced in the New Jersey legislature. While at first glance the definition of “health care professional” appears to provide protection for nurses, licensed practical nurses and others, the protection is limited by the definition of “participating in this act” or “participation in this act” to physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and pharmacists.
Further, the definition of “participating in this act” or “participation in this act” excludes referral, so it would appear that the bill could be understood to require objectors to facilitate assisted suicide by referral.
Section 25 provides protection for health care facilities that will not allow assisted suicide on their premises for reasons of conscience or religion.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice issues injunction against federal regulation
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an injunction against the U.S. federal government preventing it from enforcing a controversial regulation that would require Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged, a Catholic organization, to authorize their insurance company to provide coverage for contraceptives and surgical sterilization for their employees. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit also issued an emergency stay for Catholic-affiliated groups challenging the contraceptive provision.[USA Today] Meanwhile, the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote to President Obama asking that enforcement of the regulation be suspended until the Supreme Court has ruled on the issue in two cases it has agreed to hear.[USCCB]
Texas court grants injunction against federal mandate
A federal court in Houston, Texas, has granted an injunction to East Texas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University to prevent the enforcement of a controversial federal regulation that forces objecting employers to provide health insurance for birth control and surgical sterilization. The Universities argued that their religious freedom was unlawfully infringed by the regulation. [LifeNews]