I enjoyed the debate that you shared with Governor Perry and the Senator. I felt that you did a terrific job. However, I do have a question about EMTALA. If I understood you correctly, you said that you would repeal the law. Could you please explain your rationale? The law prevents hospitals from dumping unstable patients on another hospital and assures that emergency medical care is received regardless of a person’s insurability.

I am looking forward to your response.

Thank you,

Patty W.

You say you’d veto it, but Governor you’ve been there for 9 years…

Audience Question: The Texas advance directive act, also known as the Texas futile care law gives hospitals ethics panels the power to discontinue life giving care to any patient whose causes they deem futile, if the patient is not able to transfer to another facility within 10 days of being notified of the panel decision These panels however have come to consider as futile, patients who are conscious, able to request care, and able to pay.  So keeping in mind that Texas is the only state with such a law, what changes would you support being made to the Texas Advance Directive?”

Senator Hutchison: “To be very honest with you I was not aware that we had a law like that.”

Governor Perry: “I always stand by the side of life and in this case it is no different.  Ah…You do every thing you can to keep those patients alive and certainly working with those physicians there if they don’t have ah…ah… you stand by life in this state.”

Moderator: “So would you make an effort to repeal it?”

Perry: “Absolutely if that is what we are seeing in Texas today, absolutely.”

Medina: “I am a registered nurse; I’ve been at the bedside of patients affected by the Advance Directive Act.  I know the grieving that families go through.  The governor does a great job of giving lip service to pro-life issues but he’s done little to reverse abortion here in Texas and he’s done nothing,…. 9 years if you were going to repeal the act why haven’t you.   It’s been there, we have been denying care, we have been pulling patients of ventilators when they and their families didn’t want that to happen because the law in Texas allows it.  Texans deserve pro-life support. Gov job is to   insure justice and to protect innocent life.  There is none more innocent than the unborn babe, or the frail, injured and dying.”

Follow up from Questioner on the floor: “this is for Governor Perry only. The bill was signed into law when you were Lt. Governor, did you oppose it at that time as well?”

Perry: I wasn’t aware of that.”