Texas Right to Life, Senator Deuell, & the Texas Advance Directive Act

In the past several legislative sessions, Texas State Senator Bob Deuell has tried to improve the procedural due process protections in the Texas Advance Directives Act.  Senator Deuell's bills would have given patients and families new safeguards and lengthened the time to find a new facility when treatment for an ailing patient ends.



But Texas Right to Life has no interest in improving the fairness of the conflict resolution procedures. Instead, it wants to completely eliminate the ability of clinicians to refuse life-sustaining treatment desired by surrogates.  So, apparently, as a deterrent to other legislators, TRL is "punishing" Senator Deuell.



TRL has been running negative ads (see below).  One ad alleges that Deuell “turned his back on life and on disabled patients” and argues that his allegiance is to the medical lobby and not to families and their ailing ones.  Deuell,faces as May 27 primary runoff.  TRL is backing retired businessman Bob Hall of Edgewood against Deuell.   







The Texas Catholic Conference and Catholic Bishops of Texas, who supported Deuell’s bill, say the description of Deuell’s bill is wrong.  (Dallas News)