Senate Kills HB 1283

https://www.concordmonitor.com/NH-Senate-kills-MAID-55151269

After months of intense public debate, with Granite Staters on both sides of the legislation that would allow medical aid in dying [meaning assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia], packing the room at every public hearing, the Senate voted on Thursday to kill the bill....

The bill, which was struck down in the senate with a vote of 17-7 and referred to an interim study, proposed granting individuals aged 18 and above, diagnosed with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less, and having sound mental capacity, the option to end their lives without suffering from the disease. ...

From the time the bill was introduced, legislators said they were flooded with testimonies both in favor of and against it. According to the state website, 658 individuals voiced their support, while 1,125 testified against it...

Like New Hampshire, 10 other states, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York, have proposed legislation this year to allow medical aid in dying. Vermont and Oregon are two states that have approved laws allowing medical aid in dying while also extending the statute to nonresidents.

New Hampshire’s bill also did not have a residency restriction, which was a point of worry for senators who voted against the bill during the Senate session.

“We’ve discussed in this chamber passing legislation to prevent us from becoming magnets for crime, drugs, human trafficking and more,” said Sen. Regina Birdsell, asking the Senate to refer it to an interim study. “This bill because it has no residency requirements would make our state a magnet for a much more tragic purpose.”

The question of whether this law is assisted suicide or a humane way to die has dominated the debate in New Hampshire for the past few months and this was evident in Thursday’s senate session.

Sen. Carrie Gendreau shared that her father endured the agonizing stages of cancer two years ago. Although he could have considered this option, not having it allowed their family to provide support and cherish precious moments together, she expressed.

“I just want to put that out there that suicide is a permanent solution for potentially a short-term problem,” she said in opposition to the bill. “When we leave this earth, it is either going to be heaven or hell.” ...

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Photo credit

https://clintonblackburn.com/2015/01/04/new-hampshire-state-house#pid=2