Death with dignity – area legislator’s bill would start conversation
Earlier this week, Harrison, D-
The six-term legislator from
Her husband,
A death-with-dignity process could have made it easier for Harrison and her family as they coped with losing their loved ones.
"These are options that should be available to folks. I've had constituents contact me and ask me to introduce it," she said.
Harrison candidly acknowledges that she doesn't expect her bill to pass this year in the Republican-dominated
"But I've been thinking about it for a long time and want to get the conversation going. I'm hoping to at least get a hearing," Harrison said.
Leaders of statewide traditional values groups based in
"The role of physicians is to protect the health, safety and welfare of their patients, but this misguided proposal would allow doctors to willfully and legally participate in the killing of their patients. As a result, the
"Health care professionals have an ethical responsibility to do everything in their power to keep their patients alive. Legalizing assisted suicide opens a 'Pandora's box' that will lead to a culture of death. Our laws should promote life as a precious gift from God that should end only by natural death," said
Harrison's bill would allow someone 18 or older to make their own informed decision about ending their life while suffering with a terminal medical condition. House Bill 611 does state that "no person shall qualify to make a written request for medication for the purpose of ending his or her life under the provisions of this article solely because of age or disability."
A patient would have to sign a form requesting a mix of drugs to end their life. The signature would have to be witnessed by at least two people who attest that the patient is capable of making the decision and isn't being coerced. Also, a physician would have to confirm the terminal illness and verify the patient is making an informed decision.
The bill even addresses insurance issues, since many policies have provisions that void payouts to heirs if the death is a suicide.
[email protected] -- 888-3528 -- @HPEpaul
Death-with-dignity laws
--Death-with-dignity laws are meant to allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults to voluntarily request and receive a prescription to hasten their death.
--Three states have enacted such laws:
Source: Death with Dignity National Center
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