The "Right-to-die" debate continued in Annapolis Thursday. A Maryland Senate committee heard arguments for and against "The End of Life Options Act." Supporters of the bill made their voices heard just before the hearing.
Advocates first brought up this issue in the last legislative session. They're fighting for the right to allow mentally sound, terminally-adults to get a prescription to end their lives when they choose.
Representatives from several groups, including Compassion and Choices, joined State Senator Ron Young, D-Frederick, to show their support for the Senate bill.
Last Friday, a hearing on the House version went on for hours, with emotional testimony from both sides. Sen. Young, the bill's Senate sponsor, said it's about giving people who are very ill and in a lot of pain, the right to choose.
"There are a lot of people who suffer a great deal," he said. "A great deal of pain to themselves and it's just a choice, an individual choice that people should have if they feel they can't endure it anymore to say, this is the time and I want to end it on my own terms."
Sen. Young emphasizes that there are many safeguards in the bill to protect people. Two doctors must agree that the person has less than six months to live and that he or she is of sound mind. The person has to request it three times, twice verbally and once in writing in front of two witnesses. One of those witnesses can't be a family member. Only then would the patient be able to get the prescription
Still, the Catholic Church strongly opposes the bill, likening it to assisted suicide. A bioethicist also raised concerns at Friday's hearing that terminally-ill patients may feel pressured to ask for a prescription to ease the burden on their families.
