Clarity touted in end-of-life bill

Legislative debate becomes emotional

After an emotional debate Monday night, the House sent Gov. Mike Easley a bill designed to allow North Carolinians more detailed choices in the documents that control the way they die.

Proponents said the bill, if made law, would clear contradictions between existing laws, provide a more detailed version of the "do not resuscitate" form, and make clear whether a medical document or legal "power of attorney" form has priority when a patient or family members have to make decisions.

The House passed the bill on a 68-48 vote at 10 p.m., with Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake, taking the lead on the bill for its Senate sponsor, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Concord.

"It will do a lot to help families deal with very, very difficult issues at end of life," Ross said as nearly two hours of debate began.

"This bill is really very simple," said supporter Rep. Martha Alexander, D-Mecklenburg. "This bill is clarifying things that are in the law now."

The legislation is the result of more than two years of work by broad-based groups led by the state's bar and medical associations. But that's part of the problem, said Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange.

"It was a study by the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Medical Association; it left out some of the stakeholders," Insko said. "It left out some of the consumers and family members."

Opponents heard during previous committee hearings included North Carolina Right to Life, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh and the Raleigh pro-life group LifeTree. The diocese charged that the bill would tilt the state toward allowing euthanasia.

"I know people are going to stand up and talk about all the things the bill doesn't do that it should do," Ross said..

Republican house minority leader Paul Stam, of Apex, argued as he had in extended committee meetings that the bill lacked language for those who wanted doctors to use every available means to sustain life. Supporters said the bill was designed for those who do not want extraordinary means used to prolong life.

"Remember that the average citizen of North Carolina looking at one of these forms has an IQ of 100 -- that is, average intelligence -- and, if given a form, is likely to check one or two," Stam said. "People need to have choices in every document that they do."

The bill stipulates a study committee on possible means to help those who want every possible medical support.