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Law to allow assisted suicide for terminally ill faces crucial vote Law to allow assisted suicide for terminally ill faces crucial vote
(about 3 hours later)
A bill that would allow terminally ill adults in Maryland to take their own lives appears at risk of failing in committee, with two of the four lawmakers whose votes are needed for the legislation to advance saying Wednesday that they have strong reservations about it. A bill that would allow terminally ill adults in Maryland to take their own lives appears likely to fail in committee for the second straight year, its lead sponsor said Wednesday.
The Death With Dignity Act, which is slated for a vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Thursday, has drawn strong support from advocates and families of the terminally ill but equally passionate opposition from the Catholic Church, disability rights groups and others. With a vote expected on Thursday, none of the four lawmakers whose support is needed to move the Death With Dignity Act to the full Senate appear ready to commit to the bill, said Sen. Ronald N. Young (D-Frederick).
Two members of the 11-person committee are co-sponsoring the bill, while five members have said they oppose it. That means the four other lawmakers on the panel — all of whom remain undecided — would have to vote in favor of the measure for it to survive. “I have a feeling we don’t have the votes to get it to the floor,” Young said. “I talked to several of the people who were on the fence, and got no affirmative answer from any of them.”
[Agonizing over the right to die] The bill, which would allow doctors to prescribe a fatal dose of medication to patients who are expected to die within six months, has drawn strong support from advocates and families of the terminally ill but equally passionate opposition from the Catholic Church, disability rights groups and others.
“It’s a relatively new concept,” said Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s), one of the lawmakers who has not taken a position. “Only a few states have passed laws about it.” [Agonizing over a person’s ‘right to die’]
Ramirez and Sen. Bobby Zirkin (D-Baltimore County), the committee chairman, said they were troubled by testimony from opponents that suggested that poor people and the disabled could opt to end their lives early because options for medical treatment are too expensive or out of reach. Two members of the 11-person Judicial Proceedings Committee are co-sponsoring the bill, while five members have said they oppose it. That means each of the remaining four lawmakers on the panel would have to vote in favor for it to advance. Two of them — Sen. Bobby Zirkin (D-Baltimore County), the committee chair, and Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s) — expressed reservations on Wednesday.
“We don’t want people who are not receiving proper health care to see this as the only option they have,” Ramirez said. “We don’t want people who are not receiving proper health care to see this as the option they have,” said Ramirez, citing testimony from bill opponents that poor people and the disabled could opt to end their lives early because options for medical treatment are too expensive or appear out of reach.
Zirkin said he is concerned that no amendments have been offered to the legislation to ensure that it would not be used in an unethical way. “I have to make a decision on if it’s the right public policy,” he said. Zirkin said he shared those concerns, and was troubled that no amendments have been offered to the legislation to ensure that it would not be used in an unethical way. “I have to make a decision on if it’s the right public policy,” he said.
A third undecided lawmaker, Sen. Susan Lee (D-Montgomery), called aid in dying “a tough issue.” A third undecided lawmaker, Sen. Susan Lee (D-Montgomery), called aid in dying “a tough issue” and said “there are compelling arguments on both sides.”
“There are compelling arguments on both sides,” she said Wednesday.
The fourth undecided lawmaker, Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), declined to discuss his thoughts publicly.The fourth undecided lawmaker, Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), declined to discuss his thoughts publicly.
Maryland’s bill is modeled after a law passed in California last year following the highly publicized death of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old Bay Area woman with terminal brain cancer who moved to Oregon to commit suicide legally. Maryland’s bill is modeled after a law passed in California last year following the highly publicized death of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old Bay Area woman with terminal brain cancer who moved to Oregon to commit suicide legally. A handful of other states also allow some form of assisted suicide, although a right-to-die measure failed in Colorado last week.
The measure needs six votes to move out of the Senate committee. In Maryland, a recent Goucher College poll found that 60 percent of state residents support allowing terminally ill adults to take their own lives. Young said the bill appears to have widespread support in the full Senate, and perhaps in the full House as well.
[Advocates for aid in dying make their case, one Marylander at a time] But proponents of the bill said they knew they were fighting an uphill battle to push the bill out of committee, given the state’s strong African American and Catholic communities, both of which have historically been uncomfortable with assisted suicide.
Maryland is known as a progressive state, and a recent Goucher College poll found that 60 percent of state residents support allowing terminally ill adults to take their own lives. The Maryland Catholic Conference made defeating the bill its top priority this legislative session — joining with disability rights advocates to say the measure could open the door for mistreatment of the disabled, elderly and minority communities, and arguing that those groups already experience disparities in health-care access.
But proponents of the bill said they have always known they were fighting an uphill battle, given the state’s strong African American and Catholic communities, both of which have historically been uncomfortable with assisted suicide. “Legalizing suicide as a medical course-of-action will only serve to further erode the healthcare that vulnerable people currently receive, especially since it is much less expensive than continuing treatments,” said a statement distributed in Annapolis on Catholic Lobby Night.
“Every demographic group supports the bill,” Sen. Ronald Young (D-Frederick), the lead sponsor of the legislation, said Tuesday. “I hate it when religion gets into these things. I respect somebody’s religion, but practice yours, don’t tell me. I consider this a personal choice. If you don’t like it, don’t do it.” Lawmakers heard hours of emotional testimony on the bill during hearings in both chambers of the General Assembly. There were terminally ill patients who pleaded for the option to end their lives and caregivers who described the painful deaths of their loved ones. And there were religious leaders and disability advocates who argued that “every life” is precious and raised concerns about the potential for abuse.
Under the bill, a doctor could prescribe a lethal dose of medication to a patient who has six months or less to live. The patient would have to self-administer the medicine. Proponents of Maryland’s bill have worked since last year to build momentum for the measure. They invited small groups to watch the documentary “How to Die in Oregon,” about that state’s assisted-suicide law, and held “house parties” where they served refreshments and offered information about end-of-life options for the terminally ill.
The Maryland Catholic Conference and disability rights advocates say the measure could open the door for mistreatment of the disabled, elderly and minority communities, which they say already experience disparities in health-care access. Several senators said they expect the committe to vote on the bill Thursday, and for it to fail to muster the six votes needed to advance. Young said the bill could just be quietly dropped from consideration.
“Legalizing suicide as a medical course-of-action will only serve to further erode the healthcare that vulnerable people currently receive, especially since it is much less expensive than continuing treatments,” said a statement distributed in Annapolis last month on Catholic Lobby Night, an annual event at which members of the church talk to lawmakers about bills. “Every demographic group supports the bill,” the senator said in frustration. “I consider this a personal choice. If you don’t like it, don’t do it.”
The legislation was proposed in Maryland last year, but never received a committee vote. This year, lawmakers heard hours of emotional testimony during hearings in both chambers of the General Assembly. There were terminally ill patients who pleaded for the option to end their lives and caregivers who described the painful deaths of their loved ones. And there were religious leaders and disability advocates who argued that “every life” is precious and raised concerns about the potential for abuse.
A right-to-die measure was defeated in Colorado last week after lawmakers realized there was not enough support to pass the legislature.
Proponents of Maryland’s bill have worked since last year to build momentum for the measure. They invited small groups to watch the documentary “How to Die in Oregon,” about that state’s assisted-suicide law, and held “house parties” where they served coffee and doughnuts and offered information about end-of-life options for the terminally ill.
Young said Tuesday that he “feels a little sad” knowing that the measure may not get to the Senate floor, where he says it has widespread support.
“But if it doesn’t get out of committee, we’re nowhere,” he said.