Death With Dignity or Assisted Suicide?

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Created on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 17:34

Written by Julianne Walshaw

MONTPELIER - The Vermont Senate will continue to debate a bill that would allow Vermonters to play a roll in ending their lives.

After debates in the senate the motion passed with tie of fifteen votes ya and fifteen votes nay, with the president of the senate breaking the tie voting in favor of the bill.

With the the addition of an amendment the bill was read for a third time and passed with 21 yas and 9 nays. Both supporters, referring to the bill as "death with dignity", and opposers, calling it "assisted suicide", turned out so share their views.

Kathleen Grange, a Graniteville resident, is against the End of Life Bill dawning a large orange sticker that reads "I Oppose Doctor-Prescribed Suicide" as she greeted lawmakers entering the state house. "I just want to be the face for life," Grange said. 

Anne Broekhuizen of Jericho, a bill supporter and a nurse who has seen patients in hard situations explains her stance, "Palliative care has not helped [all patients], and they have been in excruciating pain, and I just want to have that voice if it ever happens to me."

 During the debate, Bennington Senator Dick Sears, a Judiciary Committee member in favor of having the bill killed, said, "The committee sees a bill with serious flaws, sees a bill with problems, and sees a bill that leaves us with a number of questions."
Caledonia Senator Joe Benning, also opposes the bill but also believes in a balanced approach in addressing the subject. "It's only fair to the people of Vermont that they get the full hearing in front of the full senate," he said.

The bill will now be headed to the Vermont House with the option to revisit and review the bill today at 1 o'clock in the Senate.