Hi John,
I wanted to reach out with some important information.
You might already know that, on Monday, Oregon lawmakers will decide in a work session whether or not to advance SB 1003, the radical assisted suicide bill.
And you probably saw that we launched a campaign to allow pro-life advocates to urge these lawmakers in the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote "no" on SB 1003. So many people have taken action, and we're so grateful for their advocacy!
But since only people whose senators are members of the Judiciary Committee can send messages through the campaign, we wanted to make sure that everyone, no matter where they live, has the chance to communicate with committee members about this dangerous legislation.
If you scroll down, you'll see the contact information for the Democrat members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Below that is a copy of the pre-crafted message we created to help pro-life advocates persuade members to vote "no."
Please consider using that message - or drafting your own - and communicating with members before the work session at 3:00 PM on Monday, March 31st.
Thank you for making your voice heard on this important issue – we’ve stopped the expansion of assisted suicide before, and with your help, we can do it again.
Because medically vulnerable people deserve an advocate,
Sharolyn Smith
Political Director
Contact information for Democrat Senate Judiciary Committee members:
Senator Floyd Prozanski
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1704
Senator Anthony Broadman
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1727
Senator Sara Gelser Blouin
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1708
Senator James Manning Jr.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1707
Message to Committee Members:
I am writing to express my deep concern about Senate Bill 1003 and urge you to vote NO during the March 31st work session.
I know that you, as an Oregon lawmaker, want Oregon to be a place where people are treated with dignity and compassion. But I believe this bill communicates the opposite.
Senate Bill 1003 would drastically lower guardrails in Oregon’s “Death With Dignity Act” (DWDA) by reducing the 15-day waiting period to a mere 48 hours; allowing non-physicians to prescribe lethal medication; and forcing health care facilities to publicly disclose their participation in assisted suicide, making it easier to funnel patients toward pro-assisted suicide facilities. Without a doubt, this bill would lead to a stark increase in the rates of assisted suicide deaths and produce a callous system of death on demand.
While assisted suicide is often advertised as a “compassionate” option that provides “dignity” to people who are suffering, this is a dangerous falsehood. Assisted suicide and its expansion communicates that some lives—especially the elderly, disabled, and medically complex—are less worth living. This mentality places people with disabilities and mental illnesses at increased risk in our communities.
Real dignity and compassion is shown in love, care, and support—not in offering death as a solution. Instead of expanding assisted suicide, we should invest in better palliative care and true support for those who are suffering.
Please vote "No" on Senate Bill 1003. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
