Debate of Medical Assisted Suicide Hits Minnesota Again
Paul Ellertson, staff writer
The question of whether or not someone can have a doctor medically assist them in ending their life is up for debate again in the Minnesota legislature.
The Minnesota bill would allow those 18+ who are terminally ill and have a prognosis of fewer than six months left to buy and administer the drugs to help them end their lives.
paul ellertson, staff writer
According to AP News, the first time a bill of this nature came up was in 2015 and was brought up again before Minnesota’s last legislative session ended on Feb. 12. Rep. Mike Freiburg of Golden Valley, MN, who introduced the bill, has confidence that physician assisted suicide can work in Minnesota due to the success in other states. “They see it, you know, they say that they’ve seen their mom go through cancer, ALS, and just, you know, at the end of life, just wish they had an option, you know, where they could kind of end things on their own terms,” said Freiburg in a quote from CBS News.
The Minnesota bill would allow those 18+ who are terminally ill and have a prognosis of fewer than six months left to buy and administer the drugs to help them end their lives. According to AP News, there will be another safeguard requiring two providers including a physician to confirm that the patient meets all criteria. Patients, not excluding non-Minnesota residents, can give the okay to providers as long as they are fully conscious and informed enough to make the choice. This would exclude anyone with dementia.
In states like Oregon, the first state to legalize physician assisted suicide back in 1994, it has worked for the intended narrow group of terminally ill patients in feeling like they have more of a say in whether they still wish to live or not. “It’s really proactively the decision, the choice and the action taken by the patient,” said Dr. Rebecca Thoman in a quote from CBS News.
According to AP News, the biggest obstacle to the bill is the lack of GOP support and the tiebreaker for the Democratic one seat majority, Sen. John Hoffman of Champlin, is against the bill. Many Conservatives argue that ending a life is wrong, and that physician assisted suicide is not healthcare. According to CBS News, Sen. Paul Utke of Park Rapids is at the front of the opposition, mainly for religious reasons. “I fully believe that, you know, this should not take place,” said Utke in a quote from CBS. “Every life is a gift from God, and we want to do everything we can to extend that life.”
According to the Star Tribune, disability rights advocates seem to be against it as well, with the worry that people with disabilities will be taken advantage of, even though that has so far proven to not be true. Senator Feinburg did also pose the worry of varying financial situations to end of life decisions, as opposed to just medical needs.
According to Star Tribune, Minnesotans have been urgently asking the state government to make medically assisted death an option, arguing it’s part of having the right to self bodily autonomy. However, according to the Star Tribune, legislators said that it is unlikely to pass this session but DFL leaders have assured they will keep trying.