*Q2 Mobile News

Legislature will consider two assisted suicide bills in 2011

Posted: Jul 8, 2010 10:21 PM

A state legislator wants to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Montana.
It's the second proposed bill on the subject following last year's Supreme Court ruling.
One bill would legalize assisted suicide while the other would prohibit it.
Representative Dick Barrett of Missoula announced he has asked that a bill be drafted for the 2011 legislative session.
If passed, Barrett says his bill would implement the Supreme Court's ruling in the Robert Baxter case last year allowing doctors to provide lethal medicine when requested by terminally ill patients.
Baxter, who lived in Billings, died last year just before the ruling.
Barrett says the court found no public policy in Montana opposing physician-assisted suicide.
Meanwhile, the Montana Family Foundation says the ruling did not legalize physician assisted suicide...and says assisted suicide is still a crime under Montana state law.
Barrett says he watched his parents suffer from terminal illnesses....He hopes this bill will give people some control over what happens at the end.
"There are some people, not many, but there are some for whom this is the best choice," Barrett said. "This is the choice they want."
"Basically the Supreme Court put this back in the hands of the legislature," said Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation."(The court expects) the legislature to deal with it. We just think Representative Barrett is going about it the wrong way."
Earlier this year, State Senator Greg Hinkle of Thompson Falls introduced the Montana Patient Protection Act ...a bill that would prohibit physician assisted suicide.

Topics: Legislature will consider two assisted suicide bills in 2011