SPRINGFIELD — After fierce pushback and a narrow vote of support in the Illinois House of Representatives, lawmakers ended their spring session without approving a bill that would let terminally ill people end their own lives.
The House had approved the measure Thursday with just three votes to spare to get it passed. But shortly after that vote, Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, issued a rare statement, condemning the plan as “assisted suicide.”
State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, the lead sponsor of the measure, said the Senate ran out of time this legislative session to get the bill over the finish line.
It could still be called for a vote at a later date.
The bill drew pushback from several groups, including the Catholic Church.
It remains unclear where Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker stands on the proposal. A spokesman for Pritzker said he would only comment on the bill if it landed on his desk.
Under the legislation, patients with a prognosis of six months to live or less would be able to obtain a prescription for life-ending medication they would have to administer themselves.
While debating the measure in the House, legislators on both sides of the issue emotionally recalled personal stories of watching their own loved ones die.
“It’s not something that people should have to go through, and people should be able to make their own decisions,” said state. Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield.
But opponents, including religious groups and advocates for those with disabilities, voiced concerns over abuse or coercion.
“I find it sad that Illinois wants to be the destination to end life,” said state Rep. Tom Weber, R-Fox Lake.
Lawmakers approved it by a vote of 63-42, with two members voting “present.”
In 11 states and Washington, D.C., medical aid in dying has been an option for patients who are physically and mentally able. Oregon became the first state to pass legislation allowing life-ending treatment in 1997.
In his statement issued after the House vote, Cupich questioned why the Legislature would “take this step to normalize suicide as a solution to life’s challenges.”
He wrote about watching his father die from a debilitating illness.
