House passes aid-in-dying legislation

[TexasTowelie]

SANTA FE — For a few hours Friday night, New Mexico legislators shared stories about watching their loved ones die.

In a debate on the House floor, Democratic Rep. Deborah Armstrong of Albuquerque walked her colleagues through the final days of life of her father in law and, later, a close friend.

Her daughter, Erin, now faces an inoperable brain tumor.

“This is difficult,” Armstrong said of the debate. But “it’s far more difficult to live it than it is to hear about it or talk about it.”

The tearful debate culminated in 39-27 vote to endorse a proposal that would allow terminally ill patients to seek a doctor’s help to end their life — the first time a medical aid-in-dying bill has passed a chamber of the state Legislature. The legislation, House Bill 47, now heads to the Senate.

Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/2361523/house-passes-aid-in-dying-legislation.html
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[applegrove]

1. We have had it in Canada for a few years. I had two distant relatives

die with help. I don't know why we didn't do it sooner in canada. They are strict about people with disabilities not being pressured into it, people with depression are not eligiable. You have to be of sound mind with an imminent terminal illness to qualify. Such a relief for people to miss those last awful days when organs are failing I would imagine. As a former smoker i was afraid of lung cancer or COPD of which i have not yet suffered from. Now i'm not so much. A weight has lifted. It really makes lives better. All stages of life. The one problem is people who have say brain cancer and will become incapacitated, so they have to plan to die earlier than they wanted to. But yeah - lots of people are using the law in Canada now that is on the books.

[EarnestPutz]

2. New Mexico, your humanity is showing. Voting for Joe and going blue is your best side.

[Desert grandma]

3. This New Mexican totally agrees!

The House also passed a repeal to that ancient 1960's ban on abortion in our state. Several conservative Democrats lost their seats in this last (2020) election, because the state tried to repeal this law last session and was unsuccessful due to those Democrats. They were for the most part replaced by more progressive Democrats who voted to repeal this ancient law. It would have only come into play if the SC ever ruled that Roe v Wade should be decided by individual states. Thank goodness we replaced some of those Democrats with more progressive ones.