Tuesday, June 25 begins a busy week for disability advocates opposed to legalization of assisted suicide. The Massachusetts “End of Life Options Act” H.1926/S.1208 will be heard before the Joint Committee On Public Health. John Kelly, NDY’s New England Regional Director, and Anita Cameron, Director of Minority Outreach, are among several disability leaders planning to testify.
Details of three events at which disability advocates’ voices will be heard are listed below. Please support them by attending, submitting testimony, commenting on press coverage and otherwise adding your voices.
1. PRESS CONFERENCE from 9:30 AM-10:15 AM on Tuesday, June 25, before the hearing at the:
The University of Massachusetts Club
1 Beacon St., 32nd floor, Presidential Parlor Room
Boston, MA 02108
Speakers include Not Dead Yet Director Of Minority Outreach, Anita Cameron, Peer Specialist and M-POWER Board President, Ruthie Poole, palliative care physician Laura Petrillo, and John Kelly, Dir. of Second Thoughts MA: Disability Rights Advocates Against Assisted Suicide. Please come show your support.
From there, it is a 3 minute walk to go to the committee hearing, up the hill to the front of the state house at the Hooker entrance, for ambulatory people, and a 4 minute walk to the accessible entrance on Bowdoin Street.
2. COMMITTEE HEARING on H 1926, “The End Of Life Options Act,” is at 11 AM on Tuesday, June 25, in the Gardner Auditorium at the Statehouse. The capitol police can show you how to get there.
Doors to the auditorium will open at 10 AM.
There will be an overflow space in Nurses Hall on the 2nd floor. There may be a limit on how many wheelchairs at a time can fit into the Gardner. Oral testimony is limited to 3 minutes. There will be a sign up sheet at the Gardner Auditorium entrance. Written testimony can be longer, and should be sent to john.mahoney@mahouse.gov.
3. LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING on Thursday, June 27, 2 days after the hearing, in the House Members Lounge on the 3rd floor of the state house. It will run from 11 AM-12:30 PM.
Speakers are Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville), Anita Cameron , peer Specialist Brian Shea of M-POWER, Dr. Laura Petrillo, and John Kelly,
The most important event to come to is of course the hearing. There will be stickers for our side showing “no Assisted Suicide.”