A controversial amendment allowing assisted suicide is making its way through the Illinois state legislature as representatives snuck the measure into a bill on sanitary food preparation.
Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, a Democrat representing Evanston, added an amendment containing the language from a stalled physician-assisted suicide bill to a food preparation sanitation bill, SB 1950, which the state Senate has already approved.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate filed versions of the full assisted suicide bills in January but there has been zero movement on the legislation in either chamber.
But adding the language to SB 1950 means that the Illinois Senate will only need to concur with the amendment should it pass through the House.
The amendment added to SB 1950 – dubbed ‘End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients’ – allows for patients to be prescribed and even self-administer medications to kill themselves if they are diagnosed with an illness that gives them less than six months to live.
The Democratic Party’s absurd tactic of adding such a massive piece of legislation to an amendment within a food safety bill sparked fury.
One social media user writing on X stated: ‘Assisted Suicide amendment added to a food safety bill in Illinois Legislature by Robyn Gabel (Democrat of course). Illinois has the worst politicians. They sneak this stuff in without debate!’
‘The Illinois house passed the assisted suicide bill disguised as “Sanitary Food Preparation”. It’s going great, you guys,’ another tweeted.
Democratic Representative Robyn Gabel introduced the bill, arguing that terminally ill patients should be given the choice to end their lives on their own
Currently, 11 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation allowing medical aid in dying
‘Sneaky. Sneaky. The IL Democrats are at it again in. They had opposition to physician assisted suicide and decided to hide the legislation in a “Sanitary Food Preparation” bill,’ a third wrote.
‘You can’t easily find the Assisted Suicide bill, but it’s there. They don’t like transparency.’
Republican lawmakers in the state also expressed concern, with Representative Bill Hauter, speaking in opposition during the legislative session.
‘I have to object to the process that we are tackling today,’ Hauter, who is also a physician, said.
‘When you have a process of fundamentally changing the practice of medicine, and we’re putting it inside a shell bill.’
‘I’m definitely not speaking for the whole house of medicine, but I do think I can confidently speak for a significant majority of the house of medicine in that this topic really violates and is incompatible with our oath,’ Hauter added.
Physicians typically take an oath at the end of their training, committing to practicing the highest standards of care, including the ‘utmost respect for human life.’
The American Medical Association has acknowledged the complexities of physician-assisted suicide, writing on their website, ‘Supporters and opponents share a fundamental commitment to values of care, compassion, respect, and dignity; they diverge in drawing different moral conclusions from those underlying values in equally good faith.’
Rep Adam Niemerg argued the procedure ‘does not respect the Gospel’
Other Republicans opposed the bill based on religious beliefs, with Representative Adam Niemerg saying it doesn’t, ‘uphold the dignity of every human life.’
‘This does not respect the Gospel. This does not respect the teachings of Jesus Christ or uphold the values of God.’
However, proponents of the bill argued that terminally ill patients should have the right to end their life on their own terms.
Gabel, who introduced the bill, said during the committee meeting, ‘Medical aid in dying is a trusted and time-tested medical practice that is part of the full spectrum of end of life care options.’
Representative Nicolle Grasse, a hospice chaplain, also supported the bill, arguing on the committee floor, ‘I’ve seen hospice ease pain and suffering and offer dignity and quality of life as people are dying, but I’ve also seen the rare moments when even the best care cannot relieve suffering and pain, when patients ask us with clarity and peace for the ability to choose how their life ends.’
Representative Maurice West, a Christian minister, agreed, ‘Life is sacred. Death is sacred, too.’
‘The sanctity of life includes the sanctity of death. This bill allows, if one chooses by themselves, for someone with a terminal diagnosis to have a dignified death.’
Deb Robertson, a terminally ill woman, joined the meeting via Zoom to speak in support of the bill from her perspective.
‘I want to enjoy the time I have left with my family and friends,’ she said.
‘I don’t want to worry about how my death will happen. It’s really the only bit of control left for me.’
The amendment cited testimonies from Robertson, along with other terminally ill patients who want the freedom to choose aid-in-dying care.
Rep Bill Hauter spoke in opposition to the care, arguing that it goes against the oath physicians like himself take
Tiffany Johnson (left) and Sebastian Nalls (right) discussed their beliefs on the controversial bill with WTTW
Disability rights advocates, however, have also cited concerns with the procedure, with Access Living policy analyst Sebastian Nalls telling WTTW that it will exacerbate health care inequities.
End-of-life doula Tiffany Johnson told the outlet that the option gives terminally ill patients the ability to choose what works best for them.
The bill passed with 63 votes in favor, all Democrats, and 42 opposed, with five Democrats joining 37 Republicans.
Illinois state senators are now tasked with voting for the measure before it is sent to Governor JB Pritzker to sign it into law.
