HB 140 | Assisted Suicide

Sponsors

Rep. Gorman, Rep. K. Williams, Rep. Minor-Brown, Rep. Morrison, Rep. Neal, Rep. Ross Levin, Rep. Snyder-Hall, Sen. Townsend

Additional Sponsors

Rep. Burns, Rep. Johnson, Rep. Lynn, Rep. Osienski, Rep. Romer, Sen. Hansen, Sen. Hoffner, Sen. Huxtable, Sen. Lockman, Sen. Sokola

Stance

Category

Chamber

Bill #

File Date

Summary: House Bill 140 would allow doctors to prescribe death pills to potentially terminally ill patients, thus legalizing assisted suicide.

Analysis: Rep. Paul Baumbach has led the charge to legalize assisted suicide for years. This past year, the assisted suicide bill passed both chambers for the first time. Governor Carney recognized the large number of questions still present on the issue and chose to veto the bill, preventing it from becoming law.

Rep. Baumbach is retired, and he gave the mantle of legalizing assisted suicide to Rep. Eric. Morrison.

HB 140 includes supposed “safeguards” to respond to concerns with previous versions of this bill. However, it must be noted that many of these safeguards have already been challenged in court and removed in other states.

More importantly, human life has inherent dignity and value because we are created in God’s Image. Period. This doesn’t change because a doctor or legislator says it does.

HB 140 assumes that doctors can make an accurate terminal diagnosis. In reality, doctors have been wrong in over 66% of cases!

The bill’s supporters claim that HB 140 is an extension to palliative care, but this is a stark contradiction. Palliative care is intended to alleviate pain and make the patient comfortable; the intent is not to kill.

HB 140 is not managing pain; it is prematurely causing certain death. This is not compassion – it’s assisting in suicide.

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