In California you have a right to die
A bill to give patients the right to die a
natural death was passed by the 1976
California legislature and signed by Gov.
Jerry Brown. The law permits removal of
life-sustaining medical procedures with the
written consent of the terminally ill patient
and is the first to legalize the "living will," a
written directive that artificial means not be
used to prolong life if death is imminent.
New York sues over its seal
Two Connecticut companies have been
sued by the New York attorney general for
commercial use of the Great Seal of New
York State. The suit claims that the firms
realized over $1 million selling bicentennial
pewter plates and spoons which reproduced
the seals of the 13 original states, seeks an
injunction to hall further use and asks that
profits from use of the seal be turned over to
the state,
No female troopers in South Carolina
South Carolina Gov. James B. Edwards
requested a hearing to decide whether Law
Enforcement Assistance Administration
(LEAA) funds should be withheld from the
state's highway patrol for its refusal to hire
women as state troopers. LEAA says 11
states are now using women as state patrol
officers and others are recruiting them.
Kentucky bigwigs get pay boost
Kentucky Gov. Julian M. Carroll boosted
the pay of his cabinet and other top ranking
officials by about 25 per cent as authorized
by 1976 law. The highest salary, that of the
secretary of the cabinet, is $35,000, equal to
the governor's annual income.
Sex discrimination in states
The National Organization for "Women
(NOW) has filed charges with the federal
government against 40 states accusing them
of violating the 1972 education amendments
for sex discrimination. If NOW wins the
case, the states could lose up to $3.4 billion in
federal education funds.
Massachusetts numbers games
As a new version to the state lottery,
Massachusetts has begun its own numbers
game to compete with the illegal numbers
racket. In this version, bettors may wager
from 25 cents to $10 and select their own
numbers. Rhode Island began an instant-winner
lottery game with prizes up to $10,000.
December 1976/ Illinois Issues/15