ACTION ALERT: NO on SB 303; the Texas Death Panel Empowerment Act

the following is from Cahnman;s Musings: http://acahnman.blogspot.com/2013/04/action-alert-no-on-sb-33-texas-death.html

Via Texas Eagle Forum re: SB 303 by: Dr. Bob Deuell
"The Texas Medical Association (TMA) is supporting this bad bill: Texas SB 303.

Despite opposition by numerous pro-patient activists, the Texas Senate Health & Human Services Committee passed SB 303 this week. This sets up a showdown on the floor of the Texas Senate, with patient rights in Texas hospitals hanging in the balance.

SB 303 allows hospitals to impose "do not resuscitate" orders and cause their patients' deaths without the consent of patients or their families.

The death panels predicted by Sarah Palin become a reality in this bill, as it authorizes hospitals to set up and control decisions to end patients' lives. As soon as Medicare or Medicaid payments on a patient expire, hospitals can insist on pulling the plug, even when patients could recover. Hospitals will try to coerce physicians to do what the hospitals want, not what is best for the patient.

Whom should Texans thank for this abomination? The Texas Hospital Association and its minion, the Texas Medical Association, insist on passage of this bill, and Senators Jane Nelson, Joan Huffman, and Bob Deuell push the THA and TMA agenda as they do every session.

But there are 31 Senators and this bill can still be blocked and defeated. Hospitals and the TMA have less influence on the floor of the Senate than in the Health Committee. Please contact your Senator and urge him or her to stand up for patients, and join the growing list of opponents to this death panel bill, SB 303.”

Please ask your Senator to VOTE NO on SB 303, the death panel bill."

 Texas Right to Life has more here.

 Contact YOUR Texas Senator here.

Sarah Palin, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum Endorse Ted Cruz for US Senate

Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate Texas Election has already been endorsed by most top Conservatives, conservative groups and tea party organizations from Texas and across the nation.

Within the last week, more big names have also lined up to throw their support behind Ted Cruz including Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.

The race is a close race with 4 big names so a runoff election very likely between the top two candidates, David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz.

The Texas Republican Primary Election Day is May 29th, 2012

Governor Sarah Palin Endorses Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate - Texas 2012 Primary Election Update

This endorsement from Sarah Palin adds to the long list of nationally known conservatives and organizations who have endorsed Ted Cruz for U.S. Senator from Texas. There are many very good candidates for U.S. Senate and I have nothing against the other candidates. I just think Ted Cruz is the best.

Press Release from Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate Campaign:

AUSTIN—Just four days before the start of early voting in the Texas Senate primary, the Ted Cruz campaign announced the endorsement of Governor Sarah Palin and her husband Todd Palin.

In response to a letter from Ted Cruz, Governor Sarah Palin wrote: “We’re proud to join conservatives in Texas and throughout the nation in supporting your campaign to become the next Senator from the Lone Star State.”

“Your conservative principles, passionate defense of our Constitution and our free market system come at a time when these cornerstones of our freedom and prosperity are under attack,” Governor Palin added. “Our shared goal isn’t just to change the majority in control of the Senate, but to assure principled conservatives like you are there to fight for us.”

Ted Cruz responded, “Governor Palin has been an inspiration to conservatives across Texas and across the Nation. She is principled and passionate and never afraid to speak truth to establishment power. I am humbled and honored to have Governor Palin’s support as we fight to restore fiscal sanity to the circus that is Washington. With Governor Palin’s support, and the support of tens of thousands of conservatives from all across Texas, we will turn our country around, rein in out-of-control spending and debt in Washington, and restore the Constitution.”

To date, the Cruz campaign has received donations from over 19,000 individuals, from over 843 Texas cities, 225 Texas counties, and all 50 States. The average donation is under $200.

In addition, the campaign has earned endorsements from many of the top conservative leaders in Texas and nationally, including: Tea Party Express, Senator Jim DeMint, Senator Rand Paul, Dr. James Dobson, Cathie Adams, George P. Bush, Gun Owners of America, Family Research Council Action PAC, FreedomWorks, Texas Home School Coalition PAC, Kelly Shackelford, David Barton, Peggy Venable, Young Conservatives of Texas, over 200 Texas Republican women leaders, and many more.

Texas Has Death Panels? YES! And We Can Stop Them!

Most people probably remember when Sarah Palin revealed the death panels that Obamacare would create[1].

I bet most people do not know that Texas has death panels too!

Now that Conservative Republicans have taken over the Texas House of Representatives, we can put an end to these panels.

Read the following letter from Elizabeth Graham, the Director of Texas Right to Life[2]:

End the Texas Death Panels

Texas Right to Life supports House Bill 3520 to restore the rights of patients and their families to make their own health care decisions.

The Human Services Committee of the State House will hear House Bill 3520, a bill to restore the rights of patients.  House Bill 3520 would stop the operational death panels currently sanctioned by Texas law!

Texas law (Chapter 166.046 of the Health and Safety Code) allows a physician to override and ignore a patient’s advance directive or expressed wishes.  A doctor or hospital can withdraw life-sustaining treatment (including food and water) from a patient after giving ten day’s notice. Once the physician’s decision is made and then approved by the ethics committee (aka the death panel) at the hospital, the patient and his family are thrust into a frenzy of legal skirmishes, quibbling with the facility over medical records, and blindly searching for new health care facilities that will treat their ailing loved one—all to beat the ten-day clock!

Texas Right to Life supports House Bill 3520 to restore the rights of patients and their families to make their own health care decisions; House Bill 3520 would also require sufficient time to transfer the patient.  Eleven other states have enacted laws similar to that of House Bill 3520 by requiring the patient to be transferred to a more appropriate care setting—and not become a victim of involuntary euthanasia.

House Bill 3520 would:

expand the 10-day period and foster the transfer of the patient;

allow a doctor to maintain the right to transfer the patient if treatment conflicts with the doctor’s judgment;

safeguard the expressed wishes of the patient;

improve the doctor-patient relationships;

protect vulnerable Texans from the withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment (involuntary euthanasia); and strengthen the legitimacy of advance directives.

Please email all the members[3] of the House Human Services Committee today to respectfully request support of House Bill 3520.  In a few weeks, you will be asked to call your State Representative on this issue, but today, please email the committee members and provide your name and address so that the committee members know that a diverse segment of Texans want to stop involuntary euthanasia!

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[1] http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/death-panels-sarah-palin-was-right/

[2] http://www.texasrighttolife.com/

[3] http://www.texasrighttolife.com/petition.asp?pid=LNCCQMYYPO20