Governor Signs Bill Making Assisted Suicide a Crime

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - Jennifer Dennis is one of several mothers who testified in Topeka this year in favor of a bill to make it a crime to encourage someone to take their own life, after her son William lost his life to suicide after being encouraged by people in an online forum.

Wednesday morning, Gov. Laura Kelly signed the bill into law.

"I felt like, for the first time that people get it, that they understand there's a problem, the suicide rates are a problem," Dennis said. "And that this was such a positive win for the state of Kansas."

As the bill made its way through the statehouse, many more stories surfaced of families who went through the same thing.

Kristi Khan of Colby lost her son, Kai, who was transgender. He'd also been on this same website.

"When I reached out to the detective on my son's case and said, 'Did you see all this?' and he's like, 'Well, it's not against the law,'" Khan said. "So I am beyond thrilled to see that Kansas is doing this. And I'm hoping that other states will see this and follow suit."

US Senator Representing Kansas Introduces Bill Banning Medical Mutilation for Kids

 https://www.thegoldreport.com/news/senator-introduces-bill-against-medical-mutilation-for-kids

Senator Roger “Doc” Marshall (R-KS) [pictured left] last week introduced a bill aimed at stopping medical providers from subjecting children to medical mutilation procedures, or what gender activists refer to as “gender-affirming care.”

What the bill says

The Safeguarding The Overall Protection of Minors (STOP) Act would make it illegal for doctors or hospitals to administer puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to children. These drugs cause irreversible harm like sterility, castration, loss of sexual satisfaction, suicidality, blood clots, heart damage, tumors, and bone density loss. The STOP Act also prohibits medical providers from performing genital surgeries and double mastectomies on kids for “gender identity” purposes.

The bill does not apply only to physicians. Any healthcare professional can be hit with a $100,000 civil penalty if they “knowingly perform, attempt to perform, conspire to perform, or provide a referral for any gender transition procedure on a minor.” That includes mental health workers who refer children for “gender-affirming care,” as well as any medical institution where medical mutilation procedures are performed. These medical providers are collectively referred to by many ethical doctors as “transpredators.”

In addition, the bill would fund programs to help gender medicine victims try to reverse some of the effects of such interventions, a process known as “de-transitioning.”

Legislature Adjourns Following Suspension; HB 2089 Presumed Dead

On May 21, 2020, the Kansas State Legislature reconvened for one day and then adjourned subsequent to action having been suspended due to the COVID-19 virus.

No action was taken on the proposed assisted suicide/euthanasia bill, HB 2089, which is now presumably dead. Barring a special session, the Legislature is adjourned until January 11, 2021.

Assisted Suicide Bill Introduced in State Legislature

On January 28, 2019, Bill HB 2089, seeking to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia, was introduced in the House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.

There been no activity thus far during the 2019/2020 legislative session.

The read the content of the bill click here.

Wrong On Suicide: The Letter the Kansas City Star Refused to Print

I am an attorney and president of Choice is an Illusion, a nonprofit corporation opposed to assisted suicide and euthanasia. Formed in 2010, Choice is an Illusion fights against assisted suicide and euthanasia throughout the US and in other countries.

David Grube’s guest commentary claims that Oregon’s suicide rates “overall have gone down ... since its Death with Dignity Act went into effect in 1997.” This claim is false.

Hey Kansas City Star: Oregon’s Suicide Rates Went Up, Not Down!

On August 4, 2018, the Kansas City Star published a guest commentary with this false statement:

National and state level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics System suggest that suicide rates have varied slightly, but overall have gone down in Oregon since its Death with Dignity Act went into effect in 1997.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Oregon’s suicide rates WENT UP, NOT DOWN, 28.2 %  See https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/infographic.html#graphic1

I REQUEST THAT THE KANSAS CITY STAR CORRECT THIS ERROR

Kansas Medical Society Policy Statement

On April 30, 2011, the Kansas Medical Society adopted this statement against physician assisted suicide.  To view a print copy, click here.

ISSUE SUMMARY

Assisted suicide is the intentional advising, encouraging, or assisting another person in the taking of his or her own life, which is illegal in Kansas.  Patient requests for physician assisted suicide should be a signal to the physician that the patient’s needs are unmet and further evaluation to identify the elements contributing to the patient’s suffering is necessary.  Multidisciplinary intervention, including specialty consultation, pastoral care, family counseling and other modalities should be sought as clinically indicated.