Bill is intrusive

Re “A bill for patients,” editorial, Aug. 11

Patients facing terminal illness need information based on who they are as individuals, not an intrusion into their relationship with their doctor. California’s AB 2747 interferes with the care of people receiving the worst news of their lives.

Sponsored by a group promoting physician-assisted suicide, the bill mandates doctors to give government-specified information to terminally ill patients.

As an oral surgeon, I can’t imagine giving a dying patient a government dictate of what they need to hear. As a breast cancer surgeon told me, “It would be cruel to take a list of treatments that may not even apply to my patient and tell her, ‘Here, this is what the California Legislature said I have to tell you when you find out you’re dying and you ask me what to do.’ ”

People don’t need the state government to stand between those who suffer and those who care for them.

If you oppose government intrusion into the lives of the terminally ill, please urge your legislators and the governor to vote no on AB 2747.

Sam Aanestad

(R-Grass Valley)

Vice Chairman

Senate Health Committee

Sacramento