State Legalizes Assisted Suicide

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed the Maine Death with Dignity Act on Wednesday, making the state the 10th jurisdiction to legalize assisted suicide.

When she inked the legislation, Gov. Mills brought Maine into line with Oregon, which was the first state to legalize the practice of physicians prescribing lethal medicines for patients to use to kill themselves.

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Washington, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia have passed similar laws in recent years. The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the practice, although there is no state law on the books explicitly allowing it.

Portland, Maine Bishop Robert Deeley said in a statement that the bill “legalizes a practice which has devastating effects on the common good. Suicide is always a tragedy.” Saying that it is a sad day for Maine, the bishop said that young people will now think “that people can and should be disposable.”

“The legislature and Governor Janet Mills failed the people of Maine. Assisted suicide is a dangerous public policy that puts the most vulnerable people in society at risk for abuse, coercion[,] and mistakes,” said Matt Valliere, Executive Director of Patients Rights Action Fund. “It also provides profit-driven insurance companies perverse incentives to offer a quick death, rather than costly continuing quality care. Mainers, especially the terminally ill, people with disabilities, and the poor, deserve better.” (Read more from “State Legalizes Assisted Suicide” HERE)

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