Latest news with #KellyCassidy
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois one step closer to legalizing medically-assisted suicide
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — A bill that would allow a doctor to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients passed the Illinois House on Thursday. The 'End of Life Options Act' would give a mentally sound adult with six months or less to live the option to get medication to die peacefully with the help of a prescription. 'I think that one of the most frightening things about death for most of us is that it means the ultimate loss of control,' Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) . 'Death, like life, is easier to navigate when you know you will have options to choose from, even if you never need to or even if you choose not to.' Under the bill, a physician must first provide information about comfort care, palliative care, and pain control, and the patient must be able to self-ingest the medication. They would have to make two oral requests and a written request, and the request must be witnessed by two people who attest the patient is acting voluntarily and with a sound mind. 'Oral and written requests for aid in dying may be made only by the patient and shall not be made by the patient's surrogate decision-maker, health care proxy, health care agent, attorney-in-fact for health care, guardian, nor via advance health care directive,' the bill reads. This legislation will also require doctors to talk about all end-of-life care options, including medical aid in dying. Life insurance payments cannot be denied to the families of those who use the law. A poll taken two years ago showed that 7 out of 10 Illinois voters supported medical aid in dying legislation. The Catholic Diocese of Rockford was among the groups opposing the act, with Bishop David Malloy , 'In states with legalized suicide, there are documented cases of insurance companies refusing to pay for the necessary care of the terminally ill while at the same time, they will cover the small cost of the drugs resulting in the end of life.' Malloy also quoted the American Medical Association as saying, 'Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would provide serious societal risks.' If passed by the Senate and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois would become the 11th state to allow medically assisted suicide. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois House passes bill allowing terminally ill people to end their lives with physician's help
SPRINGFIELD — Legislation that would allow terminally ill people to end their lives with the help of a doctor was narrowly passed by the Illinois House and now heads to the Senate. It marks the first time a medical aid in dying bill has passed through one legislative chamber in Illinois since advocates unsuccessfully pushed for the practice to be legalized in the state last year. The bill passed late Thursday by a 63-42 vote, just three votes more than the minimum number required for bills to pass the House by a simple majority, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans in voting against it. The measure would legalize medical aid in dying, sometimes referred to as physician-assisted suicide or medically-assisted death, allowing mentally competent, terminally ill adults the right to access life-ending prescription medication. 'I think that the one of the most frightening things about death for most of us is that it means the ultimate loss of control,' Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat who voted for the bill, said during the House debate. 'Death, like life, is easier to navigate when you know you will have options to choose from, even if you never need to or even if you choose not to.' If a bill is passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois would join 10 other states, among them Oregon, California, Colorado and Hawaii, as well as Washington, D.C., in allowing medical aid in dying. The legislation received support from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and Compassion and Choices Action Network. Opponents, including disability rights activists and the Catholic church, say it could lead to discrimination, coercion and abuse. Some medical practitioners also opposed the measure. Under the bill, an attending physician 'must provide sufficient information to a patient about all appropriate end-of-life care options,' including comfort care, hospice care, palliative care, and pain control, as well as the foreseeable risks and benefits of each. The eligible patient 'may orally request a prescription for medication' under the measure from their attending physician and it must be documented. The patient must also request the medication in writing to their attending physician after making the oral request, but the patient must also make a second oral request five days after the initial one. The written request for the medication must also be witnessed by two people 'who attest that to the best of their knowledge' that the patient is acting voluntarily and is mentally sound, the bill says. The bill also lists various limitations as to who can act as witnesses. 'At the time the patient makes the second oral request, the attending physician shall offer the patient an opportunity to rescind the request,' the legislation says. 'Oral and written requests for aid in dying may be made only by the patient and shall not be made by the patient's surrogate decision-maker, health care proxy, health care agent, attorney-in-fact for health care, guardian, nor via advance health care directive.' While Democrats and Republicans largely differed on the merits of the legislation, some shared personal experiences to explain their position in dealing with the death of a loved one. Democratic state Rep. Nicolle Grasse, who has a background as a hospice chaplain, said she's walked with 'literally thousands of people through the final days of their lives and being at their bedside,' and believes the medical aid in dying legislation would allow people to have appropriate control of their mortality if they're suffering. 'I know some people worry about where this could lead. And please know I understand those concerns and I hear those,' said Grasse, of Arlington Heights. 'But I ask all of us here to consider this: Not one of us can control whether or not we will die. Every single one of us will die. But we can offer people the comfort of controlling what matters most to them and to us as they are dying.' Rep. Anthony DeLuca, a Chicago Heights Democrat, called this an issue of 'faith and science colliding.' As he discussed how his sister unexpectedly took her own life, he asked that the bill not be referred to as 'assisted suicide.' 'This bill is not suicide,' he said before voting in favor of the bill. House Republican leader Tony McCombie talked about taking care of her mother as she suffered from throat cancer before she died, and why she felt the legislation was not the answer in such situations. 'We had conversations when I was feeding her through her feeding tube that we never would have had if this would have been the law because she wouldn't have done it for her pain, she would have done it for mine,' said McCombie, of Savanna. 'I know this is a very emotional issue, but this is not the bill, this is not the way that this needs to go.' During floor debate, Republicans also said the legislation would transform a doctor's role as a healer into someone who kills their patients. 'Every moment of life should be cherished, and this bill's sole purpose is to extinguish it,' said GOP state Rep. Tom Weber of Lake Villa. 'At the same time, we are turning those who have spent their careers saving life into life takers. I find it sad that Illinois wants to be the destination to end life.' 'We've already recognized … the need for more concentrated focus on the dying process with pain control, death with dignity, comfort care with the growing fields of palliative care and hospice care. We have true medical aid in dying,' said GOP Rep. William Hauter of Morton, who is also an anesthesiologist. 'This is medical aid in death, which is to say physicians helping their patients commit suicide.'
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois House passes bill allowing terminally ill people to end their lives with physician's help
SPRINGFIELD — Legislation that would allow terminally ill people to end their lives with the help of a doctor was narrowly passed by the Illinois House and now heads to the Senate. It marks the first time a medical aid in dying bill has passed through one legislative chamber in Illinois since advocates unsuccessfully pushed for the practice to be legalized in the state last year. The bill passed late Thursday by a 63-42 vote, just three votes more than the minimum number required for bills to pass the House by a simple majority, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans in voting against it. The measure would legalize medical aid in dying, sometimes referred to as physician-assisted suicide or medically-assisted death, allowing mentally competent, terminally ill adults the right to access life-ending prescription medication. 'I think that the one of the most frightening things about death for most of us is that it means the ultimate loss of control,' Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat who voted for the bill, said during the House debate. 'Death, like life, is easier to navigate when you know you will have options to choose from, even if you never need to or even if you choose not to.' If a bill is passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois would join 10 other states, among them Oregon, California, Colorado and Hawaii, as well as Washington, D.C., in allowing medical aid in dying. The legislation received support from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and Compassion and Choices Action Network. Opponents, including disability rights activists and the Catholic church, say it could lead to discrimination, coercion and abuse. Some medical practitioners also opposed the measure. Under the bill, an attending physician 'must provide sufficient information to a patient about all appropriate end-of-life care options,' including comfort care, hospice care, palliative care, and pain control, as well as the foreseeable risks and benefits of each. The eligible patient 'may orally request a prescription for medication' under the measure from their attending physician and it must be documented. The patient must also request the medication in writing to their attending physician after making the oral request, but the patient must also make a second oral request five days after the initial one. The written request for the medication must also be witnessed by two people 'who attest that to the best of their knowledge' that the patient is acting voluntarily and is mentally sound, the bill says. The bill also lists various limitations as to who can act as witnesses. 'At the time the patient makes the second oral request, the attending physician shall offer the patient an opportunity to rescind the request,' the legislation says. 'Oral and written requests for aid in dying may be made only by the patient and shall not be made by the patient's surrogate decision-maker, health care proxy, health care agent, attorney-in-fact for health care, guardian, nor via advance health care directive.' While Democrats and Republicans largely differed on the merits of the legislation, some shared personal experiences to explain their position in dealing with the death of a loved one. Democratic state Rep. Nicolle Grasse, who has a background as a hospice chaplain, said she's walked with 'literally thousands of people through the final days of their lives and being at their bedside,' and believes the medical aid in dying legislation would allow people to have appropriate control of their mortality if they're suffering. 'I know some people worry about where this could lead. And please know I understand those concerns and I hear those,' said Grasse, of Arlington Heights. 'But I ask all of us here to consider this: Not one of us can control whether or not we will die. Every single one of us will die. But we can offer people the comfort of controlling what matters most to them and to us as they are dying.' Rep. Anthony DeLuca, a Chicago Heights Democrat, called this an issue of 'faith and science colliding.' As he discussed how his sister unexpectedly took her own life, he asked that the bill not be referred to as 'assisted suicide.' 'This bill is not suicide,' he said before voting in favor of the bill. House Republican leader Tony McCombie talked about taking care of her mother as she suffered from throat cancer before she died, and why she felt the legislation was not the answer in such situations. 'We had conversations when I was feeding her through her feeding tube that we never would have had if this would have been the law because she wouldn't have done it for her pain, she would have done it for mine,' said McCombie, of Savanna. 'I know this is a very emotional issue, but this is not the bill, this is not the way that this needs to go.' During floor debate, Republicans also said the legislation would transform a doctor's role as a healer into someone who kills their patients. 'Every moment of life should be cherished, and this bill's sole purpose is to extinguish it,' said GOP state Rep. Tom Weber of Lake Villa. 'At the same time, we are turning those who have spent their careers saving life into life takers. I find it sad that Illinois wants to be the destination to end life.' 'We've already recognized … the need for more concentrated focus on the dying process with pain control, death with dignity, comfort care with the growing fields of palliative care and hospice care. We have true medical aid in dying,' said GOP Rep. William Hauter of Morton, who is also an anesthesiologist. 'This is medical aid in death, which is to say physicians helping their patients commit suicide.'
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Illinois state lawmakers get hostile during debates on trans athletes in girls' sports
As Illinois faces a growing political divide over the issue of trans athletes in girls' sports, the state's lawmakers addressed the topic in a heated back-and-forth on the floor of the state capital on Wednesday. The state's General Assembly members broke out into aggressive arguments over the issue during the session. One Democrat member even made the unsubstantiated argument that laws to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports would result in genital inspections of children. That argument was initially used by U.S. House Democrats who voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in January. The Illinois lawmaker to repeat the unsubstantiated claim was Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago, who accused GOP colleagues of being "obsessed with children's genitalia." "My colleagues on the other side of the aisle feel the need to share their obsession with children's genitalia once again," Cassidy said. "We are grown adults, and we are picking on kids because you are obsessed with children's genitalia." Cassidy's statement was then pushed back upon by Republican Rep. Blaine Wilhour of Southern Illinois. Wilhour called out the state's Democrats as a whole for supporting gender transitions for minors and pointed out a recent track meet in Naperville, Illinois, that sparked national outrage after a biological male won a girls' race. "These folks up here accuse people of being obsessed with kids' genitalia because they have the audacity to believe that boys should not be competing in girls' sports. But I just want to point out here that there is only one party, the Democrat Party, that is supporting and encouraging minor children to use life-altering and often unreversable hormone blockers," Wilhour said. "What we've seen in Naperville, that's not fair competition. Not only that, it's abusive to these young girls and it's a clear violation of Title IX." The recent Naperville incident has put the community and state under a national microscope in recent days. The controversy even prompted a series of heated debates, which went viral on social media, at the Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting on Monday. Democrat state Rep. Anna Stava-Murray, who represents Naperville, defended the trans student who won the race. "I find it disgusting when adults try to bully children, and that's what's happening right now," Stava-Murray said. "We have adults, including adults on the House floor, who want to take a moment that that child trained for and use it as a political talking point, that's disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourselves. That child did not ask to be in national media. That child's parents didn't consent to that." Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg then chimed in to condemn the Democrats for allowing the issue to continue in Illinois, warning of potential cuts to federal funding by President Donald Trump's administration for defying an executive order to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports. "To think parents and kids still have to be dealing with this astounds me, after all, there is an executive order banning this kind of thing from happening. Folks, this nonsense has to stop. This insanity is leaving a trail of tears heartache and oppression of girls and women everywhere," Niemberg said. "You want federal dollars? Then stop embracing policies that 90 or 95% of the people oppose! Stop letting boys compete in girls' sports! What is so hard about that to understand? I will not stay silent on this issue and neither will parents." Niemerg also called out the mainstream media over coverage of the issue. "The media needs to do their job and stop acting like this is not happening. Ask the governor directly, press him on this issue, do your jobs, and stop lying about what is going on here in Illinois," he said. Tension over the issue in Illinois has mounted in recent months before coming to a head in the aftermath of the Naperville incident over the last week. There is already one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school, that was launched back in March. Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls' locker room. Back in April, the the Illinois High School Association announced in a public letter that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. So it is continuing to allow biological males to compete with girls, as it has since 2006. U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has addressed two letters to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter in April and is now doubling-down on her pleas for the Trump administration to step in. Miller's latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital. Even Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher has spoken out on the issue while his home state is ravaged by controversy. "It's just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it's just, number one, it's not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it," Urlacher said during an interview on the "Global View" podcast on May 9. "I just don't get it, it's a common sense thing, I just don't see how you can push this and make someone thing they're a different sex." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
