Assisted suicide makes progress in NY

Vermont repeals residency requirement for terminally ill

By Ken Tingley

My mother was 85 when she suffered a stroke that compromised her ability to eat and drink.

We didn’t have many options. Doctors could have inserted a feeding tube that would keep her alive, but that came with a litany of possible complications and the quality of life would be minimal.

Considering how much my mother loved to eat, we decided to let her go.

As my mother looked back at me with those sparkling blue eyes, I told her that nothing could be done. As the tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheek, she reached out with her arm trying to wipe away the tears. I’ll never forget that.

We took her back to the nursing home where she lived and it was a just a day or two before she went to sleep. We were told she probably would not wake up again.

As much as we like to think of death as a quiet and peaceful process, that was not my experience with my mother. For the next three days, I watched as my mother fought for every breath. It was not peaceful.

For three days she suffered needlessly.

Four months earlier, the state of Vermont passed an assisted suicide law for the terminally ill. It is among nine states and the District of Columbia that have such measures in place.

New York does not.

The lobbying group “Death with Dignity” has been working to get a law passed in New York. It reported this month it had made a great deal of progress in New York’s last legislative session, but despite a lot of support in the Senate and Assembly, it could not find a path to a floor vote.

But there was progress on another front.

In May, Vermont became the first state to remove a residency requirement after it was sued by an out-of-state woman from Connecticut who had late-stage fallopian tube cancer.

The updated law allows doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill people 18 or older without being a resident of the state.

Vermont was the first state to remove the residency requirement, but last year the state of Oregon agreed to stop enforcing its residency requirement as part of a settlement in another lawsuit.

For anyone who has battled a life-threatening illness, this is good news. It provides an opportunity to go out on your own terms, and more importantly, your timetable.

Looking back, I wished it was available for my mother. She didn’t have to go through those last three days.

None of us should.

Schiff censure

For only the 25th time in the history of our country this week, the House of Representatives voted to censure a member - Democrat Adam Schiff.

It came two weeks after 20 Republicans helped defeat a censure measure that included a $16 million fine.

So what was Schiff’s sin?

He led the first impeachment of Donald Trump. As I recall, it was a pretty darn good case about Trump asking Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in exchange for foreign aid.

Here is Rep. Stefanik’s tweet on the subject:

Schiff raised tens of millions off his dangerous lies. Yesterday Congress censured him for his illegal actions. Throwback to Impeachment Scam 1, where Patriots helped #TeamElise raise millions from grassroots donors at FightSchiff.com.

Join the fight to SAVE AMERICA! 🇺🇸

It is not clear what his “illegal actions” were. The reality is that many people heard what Trump asked on that infamous phone call. Perhaps, Stefanik should go back and read the transcript.

The measure passed 213-209 in the house. Here’s what happened around midnight after the measure passed.

The Associated Press reported it this way:

“When it was time for Schiff to come to the front of the chamber to be formally censured, immediately after the vote, the normally solemn ceremony turned into more of a celebratory atmosphere. Dozens of Democrats crowded to the front, clapping and cheering for Schiff and patting him on the back. They chanted “No!,” “Shame!” and “Adam! Adam!”

Schiff responded by thanking his fellow Republicans.

“To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity. You flatter me with this falsehood. You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth-tellers and I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy and I am grateful.”

Rep. Stefanik and her fellow Republicans should be embarrassed by their vote to censure.

Stefanik Cartel

A day after I reported that Rep. Elise Stefanik was fundraising off the legal problems of Donald Trump, she did it again.

A reader sent me copies of an email he received from Rep. Stefanik asking him to become part of the “TRUMP 2024 ADVISORY BOARD.” The email is printed below.

The email demands that my reader “accept your invitation in the NEXT HOUR”

It reminded me of the high pressure tactics used on the Shopping Network or by timeshare salespeople.

“Time is of the essence,” it proclaims. “Please don’t keep President Trump waiting.”

He then received a second letter where 95 percent of the contributions also go to Stefanik and not Trump. My reader believed this was fraud.

Then came a third email that seemed to be from Donald Trump Jr., but it was sent out Rep. Stefanik.

As the evidence continues to mount against Trump in his documents case, Stefanik continues to spread disinformation.

Imagine if all this time and effort was spent doing good for the folks in her district.

ATF start

The Adirondack Theater Festival opens its season on Wednesday with the preview for “The Last Wide Open.” It will run through July 8.

“Pump Up the Volume” runs from July 14-16 and “Turning In” from Aug. 3 to Aug. 9.

This is Broadway-caliber actors and actresses performing new plays right here in Glens Falls. It should not be missed.

And at the Wood Theater, there are no bad seats.