New Jersey Senate Committee To Vote On Assisted Suicide Bill Monday December 8th

legislative calander

call your state senator and tell them to 

"vote against this bill, our votes depend on it"

Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee
Vitale, Joseph F. - Chair (democrat)
District 19 - (Middlesex)  Carteret, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Amboy, Woodbridge
PHONE NUMBER:    (732) 855-7441

Madden, Fred H. - Vice-Chair (democrat)
District 5 - (Camden and Gloucester)  Audubon, Audubon Park, Barrington, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Camden, Deptford, Gloucester City, Haddon Heights, Harrison (Gloucester), Lawnside, Magnolia, Mantua, Mount Ephraim, Runnemede, Wenonah, Westville, Woodbury, Woodlynne 
PHONE NUMBERS:    (856) 232-6700 (Turnersville)
(856) 401-3073 (Laurel Springs)

Addiego, Dawn Marie (republican)
District 8 - (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)  Berlin Borough, Eastampton, Evesham, Hainesport, Hammonton, Lumberton, Mansfield (Burlington), Medford, Medford Lakes, Mount Holly, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township, Pine Hill, Pine Valley, Shamong, Southampton, Springfield (Burlington), Waterford, Westampton, Woodland
PHONE NUMBER:    (609) 654-1498

Allen, Diane B. (republican)
District 7 - (Burlington)  Beverly, Bordentown, Bordentown Township, Burlington, Burlington Township, Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Edgewater Park, Fieldsboro, Florence, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Palmyra, Riverside, Riverton, Willingboro
PHONE NUMBER:    (856) 314-8835

Codey, Richard J. (democrat)
District 27 - (Essex and Morris)  Caldwell, Chatham Township, East Hanover, Essex Fells, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Livingston, Madison, Maplewood, Millburn, Roseland, South Orange, West Orange
PHONE NUMBER:    (973) 535-5017

Gordon, Robert M. (democrat)
District 38 - (Bergen and Passaic)  Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hasbrouck Heights, Hawthorne, Lodi, Maywood, New Milford, Oradell, Paramus, River Edge, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook
PHONE NUMBERS:    (201) 703-9779 (Fair Lawn)
(201) 374-2205 (Bergenfield)

Rice, Ronald L. (democrat)
District 28 - (Essex)  Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Newark, Nutley
PHONE NUMBER:    (973) 371-5665

Singer, Robert W. (republican)
District 30 - (Monmouth and Ocean)  Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Farmingdale, Howell, Lake Como, Lakewood, Manasquan, Point Pleasant, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Wall
PHONE NUMBER:    (732) 987-5669

Whelan, Jim (democrat)
District 2 - (Atlantic)  Absecon, Atlantic City, Brigantine, Buena, Buena Vista, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Folsom, Hamilton (Atlantic), Linwood, Longport, Margate City, Mullica, Northfield, Pleasantville, Somers Point, Ventnor City
PHONE NUMBER:    (609) 383-1388

Why The Jewish Community Is Responsible For The Assisted Suicide Bill Passing The NJ Assembly

אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

Letter from Rav Moshe Soloveichik on Massachusetts vote for assisted "suicide" in 2012

As we previously reported the Assisted Suicide bill passed the Assembly by only 1 vote.  Unfortunately only 4 people representing significantly Jewish areas voted against that bill (both assembly-members from Lakewood, the Yamuka wearing Gary Schaer, and Nancy Pinkin from Edison/Highland Park) there was an additional member (Annette Quijano) who didn't vote (which legally has the same as value as voting no).  ALL THE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF JEWISH AREAS VOTED FOR THE MURDER BILL. 

First of all If the United Orthodox Jewish Community would have proven record of voting based upon the Torah many of these elected officials would not even have been in the assembly.  Furthermore if politicians knew that we would have voted against them because of this bill it would have been a risky move that would have prevented all but the strongest ideologues from voting for this bill.  Furthermore there was no organizational (Agudah/OU) effort in fighting this bill, NOT A JEWISH MEDIA OUTLET PUBLICIZED THE INFORMATION THAT THERE WOULD BE A VOTE ON THURSDAY URGING PEOPLE TO CALL THERE LEGISLATORS.  In fact the Agudah lobbyist Avi Schnall (who opened up the Agudah convention a few hours after the bill passed) ran a particularly week attempt to fight this even by agudah poor historical standards (read the link) Clearly more concerned with the Agudah Convention then shfichas damim.  

The vote took place at around 3:00 PM
This tweet took place at 2:46 PM

There was no move by the Jewish establishment to contact even influential members of the community (rabbis/A$kanim) to contact their legislators telling them to vote against the bill.  It's clear that if Rabbi Meir Stern Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic would have called Marlene Caride and strongly told her to vote against this bill, this bill would have had a more than 75% chance of her changing her vote and thus failing. (remember this bill passed by 1 vote)

To also give credit where credit is due (despite his other some of his other flaws)

“In terms of my personally held religious beliefs, there are issues of assisted "suicide", which is contrary to the religious principles that I adhere to,” said Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer, D-Passaic, who is Jewish. “I’m supportive of hospice, I’m supportive of affording people pain medication.  “To actually promote and assist as a state in suicide is, again, antithetical to my core belief system.”

(northjersey.com)

Here's the vote count from the Assisted Suicide bill.  

yellow means someone that voted the wrong way, who has a sizable enough Orthodox population that the politician in question is forced to listen to us, and if need be, we may be able to knock out depending on the district!
Green means that we have a decent size presence there that we can be influential at the edges
blue means didn't vote for the bill and has at least a decent size Orthodox (however many communities like Deal and Morristown are not the real cause of a proper vote rather the non Jewish population in this areas are)

here were the sponsors of the bill

Burzichelli, John J. as Primary Sponsor Eustace, Timothy J. as Primary Sponsor (represents Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Paramus) Cryan, Joseph as Co-Sponsor (represents Elizabeth) McKeon, John F. as Co-Sponsor (represents Livingston, Maplewood, West Orange) Jasey, Mila M. as Co-Sponsor (represents Livingston, Maplewood, West Orange) Wilson, Gilbert L. as Co-Sponsor

Session Voting: Asm.  11/13/2014  -  3RDG FINAL PASSAGE   -  Yes {41}  No {31}  Not Voting {8}  Abstains {0}  -  Roll Call Andrzejczak, Bob - Yes Angelini, Mary Pat - Not Voting Auth, Robert - No Benson, Daniel R. - Yes Bramnick, Jon M. - No Brown, Chris A. - No Brown, Christopher J. - No Bucco, Anthony M. - No Burzichelli, John J. - Yes Caputo, Ralph R. - Not Voting Caride, Marlene - Yes Carroll, Michael Patrick - No Casagrande, Caroline - No Ciattarelli, Jack M. - Yes Clifton, Robert D. - No Conaway, Herb, Jr. - Not Voting Coughlin, Craig J. - No Cryan, Joseph - Yes Dancer, Ronald S. - No Danielsen, Joe - Yes DeAngelo, Wayne P. - Yes DeCroce, BettyLou - No DiMaio, John - No Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. - Yes Egan, Joseph V. - No Eustace, Timothy J. - Yes Fiocchi, Samuel L. - No Fuentes, Angel - Yes Garcia, Carmelo G. - Yes Giblin, Thomas P. - No Gove, DiAnne C. - No Green, Jerry - Yes Greenwald, Louis D. - Yes Gusciora, Reed - Yes Handlin, Amy H. - No Jasey, Mila M. - Yes Jimenez, Angelica M. - Yes Johnson, Gordon M. - Yes Kean, Sean T. - No Lagana, Joseph A. - Yes Lampitt, Pamela R. - Yes Mainor, Charles - Yes Mazzeo, Vincent - Yes McGuckin, Gregory P. - No McHose, Alison Littell - Not Voting McKeon, John F. - Yes Moriarty, Paul D. - Yes Mosquera, Gabriela M. - Yes Mukherji, Raj - Yes Munoz, Nancy F. - No O'Donnell, Jason - Yes O'Scanlon, Declan J., Jr. - Yes Oliver, Sheila Y. - No Peterson, Erik - No Pinkin, Nancy J. - No Pintor Marin, Eliana - Yes Prieto, Vincent - Yes Quijano, Annette - Not Voting Rible, David P. - No Riley, Celeste M. - Yes Rodriguez-Gregg, Maria - Yes Rumana, Scott T. - No Rumpf, Brian E. - Not Voting Russo, David C. - No Schaer, Gary S. - No Schepisi, Holly - Yes Simon, Donna M. - No Singleton, Troy - Yes Space, Parker - No Spencer, L. Grace - Yes Stender, Linda - Yes Sumter, Shavonda E. - Yes Tucker, Cleopatra G. - Not Voting Vainieri Huttle, Valerie - Yes Watson Coleman, Bonnie - Not Voting Webber, Jay - No Wilson, Gilbert L. - Yes Wimberly, Benjie E. - Yes Wisniewski, John S. - Yes Wolfe, David W. - No

As can be seen from our endorsements last year we knew before this vote who was bad.

Look and see how we failed miserably (remember only 1 more vote not voting yes would have stopped this bill)

Cherry Hill
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Deal
One assembly member voted the right way and the other didn't vote

Highland Park, Edison
One assembly member voted the right way and the other voted the wrong way

Elizabeth
One assembly member voted the wrong way and the other didn't vote

Morristown
both assembly members voted the right way

Livingston, Maplewood, West Orange
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Lakewood
both assembly members voted the right way

Union City
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Clifton
both assembly members voted the right way

Passaic
One assembly member voted the right way and the other voted the wrong way

Englewood, Teaneck, Tenafly
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Paramus
both assembly members voted the wrong way

New Jersey's Assembly Passes Assisted Suicide

Rav Moshe Soloveitchik on Massachusetts's assisted suicide bill

 אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

TRENTON  — New Jersey's Assembly has passed a bill to allow physicians to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients.

The bill establishes a procedure for patients to request to end their lives. A second doctor would have to certify the original terminal diagnosis and confirm the patient is capable of making the decision to die without pressure from others.

Assisted suicide opponents have fought the measure.

A companion bill remains stalled in the state Senate. In the Assembly, it passed 41-31 on Thursday.

The vote comes weeks after physician-assisted suicide advocate Brittany Maynard ended her life under an Oregon law allowing terminally ill people to choose when to die.

(AP)

will post more information about this vote as we get it

NJ Going To Vote On Assisted "Suicide" Tomorrow

לא תעמד על דם רעך

If you live in NJ call both your legislators today
call (609) 847-3905 ask for both the legislators in your district

Letter from Rav Moshe Soloveichik on Massachusetts vote for assisted "suicide" in 2012

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky paskened today that We are mechuyuv to fight this bill


TRENTON — The state Assembly on Thursday is scheduled to vote on a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe murder life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients, just two weeks after Oregon cancer patient Brittany Maynard ended her life.

Assembly Democratic spokesman Tom Hester, Jr. confirmed that the bill — dubbed the “Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act" — would go up on Thursday after a group that opposes it, the New Jersey Alliance Against Doctor-Prescribed "Suicide", said so on Facebook.

The vote comes as the national debate on physician-assisted "suicide" has grown more intense. Maynard, who was terminally ill with an inoperable brain tumor, made national headlines when she announced she would take a lethal dose of drugs legally prescribed by a doctor under Oregon’s “Death with Dignity” law, which the New Jersey bill is modeled after.

Maynard, who had moved from California to Oregon to take advantage of the law, took the pills and died on Nov. 1.

This is Democrats’ second attempt to pass the bill. It had been scheduled for a vote in June but was pulled from consideration at the last minute because of lack of support.

The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester), said he thinks the publicity surrounding Maynard has helped the bill gain momentum.

"The short answer is, I think so. Because more people are interested in talking about it because it drew so much attention to the issue," he said.

Burzichelli said it’s not a sure thing he’ll muster the 41 votes needed to pass it this time and that he’ll keep trying until he can that is why the left keeps winning they are fighters.

"I would say we’re very close to the 41 votes," Burzichelli said. "If not this week, it’s just a question of at what point."

A companion bill in the state Senate BH has not advanced.

Under the bill (A2270), patients who want to end their lives would have to first verbally request a prescription, followed at least 15 days later by another verbal request and one in writing, signed by two witnesses. After that, the doctor would have to offer the patient a chance to rescind the request. A second doctor would then have to certify the original doctor’s diagnosis and affirm that the patient is acting voluntarily and capable of making the decision.

Aside from Oregon, two states — Washington and Vermont — permit doctors to write lethal prescriptions for terminally-ill patients.

(nj.com) highlight our additions