Vermont passes physician-assisted suicide bill; governor to sign

Vermont will shortly become the latest state that allows physician assisted suicide.  The Vermont House passed the measure 75-65, following earlier Senate approval 17-13.  Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin has said he will sign the legislation into law.  When he does, Vermont will become the third state to allow physician assisted suicide, joining Oregon and Washington.   The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in the case Baxter v. Montana, that state law does not preclude physician assisted suicide.

Under the Vermont bill, terminally ill patients with less than six months to live can request a prescription from their doctor for drugs that will hasten death.  Several other states are considering similar legislation.

We sometimes tend to focus on the beginning of life when we proclaim ourselves to be “pro-life,” but the attacks are coming at the other lend of life’s journey, too.  Besides assisted suicide, there is a growing euthanasia movement that will allow health care workers to “mercifully” end their patient’s suffering.