Bills Seek to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

Three bills were introduced in the 2019-2020 Minnesota Legislative Session, seeking to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia as those terms are traditionally defined. The bills are HF 2152, SF 2286 and SF 2487. For more information, see bill histories here, here and here.

On September 11, 2019, there was an informational meeting in the House Committee on Health and Human Services regarding HF 2152.

For information about similar bills in prior years, click here and here.

Reject Legislation Seeking to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia (HF 1885 & SF 1572)

Golden Quadriga,

By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

To view as a pdf, click here: index, memo and appendix. For a handout, click here.

I.   INTRODUCTION

I am an attorney in Washington State where assisted suicide is legal,[1] Our law is based on a similar law in Oregon. Both laws are similar to HF 1885 and SF 1572, which seek to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia as those terms are traditionally defined.[2]

The bills are sold as a promotion of patient choice and control, which is not true: The bills are stacked against the patient and a recipe for elder abuse.

The bills also apply to persons with years or decades to live. Passage will encourage such persons to throw away their lives. I urge you to reject HF 1885 and SF 1572.

Senator Withdraws Euthanasia Bill

Today, Senator Chris Eaton withdrew Bill SF 1880, which had sought to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia in Minnesota. This was after it became clear that she did not have the votes to pass the bill out of committee.

Margaret Dore 

Dore Memo Opposing SF 1880 (Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia)

SF 1880 seeks to legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia as those terms are traditionally defined. The bill calls these practices, “aid in dying.” The bill does not, however, require that a patient be dying. Indeed, “eligible” patients may have years or even decades to live.

The bill also legalizes undue influence as that term is traditionally defined. The bill is otherwise stacked against the individual and a recipe for elder abuse. I urge you to vote “No” on SF 1880. Don’t be fooled.

To view the full memo, click here.  To view the attachments, click here.