Maine Legislature Passes Bill that Would Legalize Assisted Suicide
Maine could soon legalize medically assisted suicide for adults suffering from terminal illnesses, as the state legislature sent the “Maine Death with Dignity Act” to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ desk.
The bill legalizes assisted suicide for mentally competent people older than 18 who are suffering from terminal illnesses. It passed the Maine House 73-72 on Monday and the Maine Senate 19-16 on Tuesday, according to CNN.
Mills has not indicated whether or not she will sign the bill, her spokeswoman Lindsay Crete told CNN. The governor has 10 days to take a position on the legislation.
Patients who wish to have an assisted suicide must make two oral requests for the required medication and then submit a written request at least 15 days after the last oral request according to CNN.
The patient would then wait two days before receiving their prescription and is required to consult with a physician for a second opinion.
The bill would criminalize any knowing coercion or exertion of “undue influence” on a patient. Similarly, the bill would penalize patients who failed to provide any of the requests.
“I hope you will come down on the side of the terminally ill, people who don’t seem to be asking for too much: the right to choose their own end of life care,” Republican Maine state Sen. Marianne Moore told The Associated Press.
Republican Maine state Sen. Scott Cyrway said patients often live many years after learning they have limited time left.
“There’s several instances like that where hope is everything,” Cyrway said, according to the AP. “If we go and take this hope away, that’s what we’re doing when we push this button.”
“Today Maine legislators voted in favor a public policy that puts disadvantaged Mainers in grave danger,” said Matt Valliere, executive director of Patients Rights Action Fund, an organization dedicated to patients’ rights, after the state Senate passed the bill.
“The so-called safeguards in this bill are hollow and fail to eliminate that risk,” he added. “We call on Governor Janet Mills to veto this bill and to focus instead on improving access to quality health care for all people of Maine.”
Pope Francis tweeted Wednesday that assisted suicide and euthanasia “are a defeat for all.”
“We are called never to abandon those who are suffering, never giving up but caring and loving to restore hope,” the pope said.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are a defeat for all. We are called never to abandon those who are suffering, never giving up but caring and loving to restore hope.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 5, 2019
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