Right-to-die bill gets emotional airing
"If one day I become terminally ill and I'm facing what could be a drawn-out, painful death, I will want the option of medical aid in dying," Martinelli, of
Martinelli would have the choice under a proposal filed by Rep.
"This is about giving folks control over how they die. We're talking about people with diagnoses of six months or less to live," L'Italien told the panel.
"It's about whether they have to right to decide whether or not to end their pain and suffering," she added. "This is about choice."
Opponents to assisted suicide, who include medical and religious groups and advocates for those with disabilities, say misdiagnoses are common. They packed the committee hearing Tuesday and called on lawmakers to reject the proposal.
Terminally ill patients suffer from depression, they note, and may irrationally decide to end their lives.
Others argue that assisted suicide only truly benefits those who can afford it.
"Studies show that it is white, wealthy and insured who favor assisted suicide," Dr.
Legal assisted suicide, he said, "becomes a cheap medical procedure upon which cash-strapped governments and profit-minded insurance companies will increasingly rely."
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National debate revitalized
A
Since then 34 states have banned the practice, either at the ballot box or by legislative act.
But measures to legalize it have surfaced in at least a dozen states in recent years, including in
Courts in
The debate nationally was rekindled following news accounts of
Maynard, who posted social media vignettes explaining her decision, became a prominent spokeswoman for the "death with dignity" movement, replacing the controversial pathologist
Supporters of physician assisted suicide also packed Tuesday's committee hearing. They say the legislation, modeled after
The bill would require patients to make two verbal requests for a doctor's intervention at least 15 days apart, as well as a written request signed by two witnesses. A physician would need to certify that the patient seeking access to lethal medicine is suffering from an incurable, irreversible condition.
The measure follows a failed ballot question five years ago that would have allowed the terminally ill to end their lives with medication prescribed by physicians.
The referendum was narrowly defeated, with 51 percent voting against it.
Right-to-die advocates were heavily outspent at the last minute by a coalition of religious leaders, anti-abortion activists and conservatives who poured more than
Poll: Majority favors right
Methods of physician-assisted suicide vary by state but typically involve prescriptions. Doctors are required to notify patients of alternatives, such as hospice care, and wait at least 48 hours after receiving a patient's written request.
In
In
To date, at least 49 people in
A 2016 Gallup poll found that 69 percent of the country believes doctors should be allowed to end a patient's life by painless means. At least 51 percent say they would consider ending their lives if faced with a terminal illness.
"She asked me to help end her pain every day," Meshel recalled. "I wanted her to have the same dignity in death that she had achieved in life."
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