SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon House is nearing a vote on a bill that would remove legal protections for parents who refuse medical treatment and rely on faith to heal their dying children.
Lawmakers will vote on the measure on Thursday.
The measure targets an Oregon City church with a history of children dying after their parents refused secular medicine in favor of religious rituals like prayer or anointing the sick with oils.
The bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Carolyn Tomei of Milwaukie would eliminate faith healing as a defense for murder charges. It follows a 1999 measure that eliminated the faith healing defense from some charges of manslaughter, criminal mistreatment and nonpayment of child support.
Parents found guilty of murder would be subject to long mandatory minimum sentences under Measure 11.
