The “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” (HB 1328) was introduced in the House and was assigned to the Executive Committee. The identical Senate bill, SB 9, was also introduced in January and assigned to the Executive Committee. These bills legalize assisted suicide, which goes against the sanctity and dignity of human life and undermines the value of each human person.
The bill was referred to the Rules Committee where it awaited action. The bill was losing steam and in late May, the assisted suicide language was attached to a food preparation safety bill (SB 1950) and on May 29 passed the full House by a vote of 63 to 42. Senate bill SB 9 passed in the Senate Executive Committee on April 9th. The food prep safety bill, SB 1950 was placed on the Senate calendar, with the opportunity to vote on the bill before the end of the legislative year.
Thankfully, that vote never occurred, and the legislative assembly adjourned on May 31. The bill could possibly come up in a special session or next spring because this is a carryover year for the state legislature.
Offering death is not the answer. What is truly needed is increased access to quality health care, enhanced palliative care options, and loving and compassionate support services for those at the end of their life. These are the alternatives that uphold the dignity of every person. See an article about Bishop David Malloy who argues that assisted suicide is “false charity.”
