Maryland Lawmakers Wrestle With End Of Life Options Act
ANNAPOLIS, Md, (WJZ) -- Maryland lawmakers are wrestling with one of the toughest issues in the General Assembly this session, the End of Life Option Act.
Opponents wore green stickers proclaiming no assisted suicide.
Supporters wore yellow t-shirts to promote the end of life options.
Marci Rubin was among those who testified before a joint committee hearing in the House of Delegates.
"I'm supporting this bill because I have stage four metastatic breast cancer that has moved to my liver and my lungs," she said.
The End of Life Option Act provides for terminally ill adults with 6 months or less left to live and who are mentally capable to receive doctor prescribed medication, using it is strictly voluntary.
Attorney Margaret Dore gave an example of what can go wrong, describing a case in Washington state.
"The dad, he voluntarily signed up and then one side of the family thought it was great, let's have a suicide party," Dorn recalled. "The other side was 'oh my gosh.' He spent the last months of his life torn over whether he should kill himself."
"You could see the agony expressed in his face though he made no outcry and no request for water," said Rehm.
The committees will now have to decide whether to bring this bill to the full house floor for a vote.
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