Statement of Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton) on the signing of Senate Bill 1950, a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Illinois.
“Everything about this bill has been outrageous: from the contempt it shows for the most vulnerable in our society to the shady way in which it was passed in the middle of the night. This bill is bad for Illinois. It tells the disabled, the poor, the terminally ill, those with mental health issues that they are a burden and that they have a duty to die. It is ripe for coercion and abuse by unscrupulous actors.
“Thousands of Illinois physicians represented by the Illinois State Medical Society oppose physician-assisted suicide. Physicians have the primary responsibility to preserve life, to heal and to relieve suffering. Our ancient oath, which has been passed down for generations, has always contained the phrase ‘First do no harm.’ Assisting a patient in killing themselves is fundamentally incompatible with this sacred oath. This bill irrevocably changes the principles, purposes and practices of medicine in Illinois.”