Illinois legislative session ends without vote on assisted suicide, but bill expected to return

(OSV News) -- Opponents of physician-assisted suicide legislation in Illinois are breathing a sigh of relief, but not for long because they say this is not the end of lawmakers' push for hastened death for patients deemed terminally ill.

The last day of Illinois' spring legislative session, May 31, ended without a vote on the "End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act," an amendment inserted into Senate Bill 1950 on the sanitary regulation of prepared foods and ready-to-make meals kits.

Up until the end of the day, though, lobbyists were not certain whether the amendment would be up for a vote in the Senate committee that approved the food safety bill.

The amendment required adult patients seeking physician-assisted suicide to have a prognosis of six months or less to live, which needs concurrence from a second doctor. Then, a health care worker, such as a doctor or pharmacist, or if needed, a mental health professional, which could be a social worker or psychologist, must determine whether a patient is mentally fit to self-administer strong prescription drugs at high doses that will be used to commit suicide.

The bills for physician-assisted suicide, or PAS, in both legislative chambers stalled this spring but were resuscitated as an amendment to the food safety bill in late May. PAS legislation was consistently met with overwhelming witness opposition that was submitted at committee hearings.

Robert Gilligan, the head lobbyist for the Catholic Conference of Illinois, told OSV News the conference plans to review the legislative rules to be prepared for surprise maneuvers in future sessions.

"There is something to be worried about," he said. "Even if we do have the rules on our side, I'm still worried about it because I've seen these guys come up with rules and you're like, ‘What's the …?' They can do anything."

According to Gilligan, a vote May 31 would have meant easy passage on the Senate floor, and the measure would then have been ready for the governor to sign into law.

After the day ended without a vote, the conference posted a statement acknowledging the work of pro-life advocates, saying they "were instrumental in keeping this from becoming law."

Among the conference partners was Illinois Right to Life, which said in an emailed statement, "this is huge," but it also reminded opponents of PAS legislation to remain vigilant.

"Your voices were heard," said Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander. "Now we must prepare for a continued legislative battle to protect the elderly and vulnerable from the coercive pressures associated with legalized PAS."

Opponents including doctors and disability advocates have testified at committee hearings that the elderly, who tend to be more seriously ill than the rest of the population, as well as people with disabilities, are particularly vulnerable to such laws.

Zander said she could "not overstate the importance of" Illinois citizens' "voice in all of this" by contacting their legislators, filling out witness slips prior to committee hearings on the bills, "and spreading the word" to others.

The Illinois conference said, "This victory is a powerful reminder that when we work together for the sacredness of life, we can and do make an impact."

But it also warned: "We know this is not over. The proponents of assisted suicide will return in the future and remain determined to push this legislation forward."

On May 20, Delaware became the 12th jurisdiction in the country to enact an assisted suicide law. New York's Assembly passed its version May 5 after 10 years of the bill being introduced, but its Senate has not moved on the bill. Sixteen states are pushing for such laws.

Simone Orendain writes for OSV News from Chicago.