skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

IL Advocates Work to Build Support for Medical Aid In Dying

play audio
Play

Thursday, March 10, 2022   

Advocates in Illinois are working in communities across the state to garner support for medical aid in dying, which they say guarantees terminally ill patients the right to a peaceful death.

Karen Retzer, Midwest campaign organizer for Compassion & Choices, said in addition to building support for medical aid in dying, volunteers also hope to encourage people to establish end-of-life plans sooner rather than later.

"People have, understandably, very different values and thoughts about how they want their end of life to be," Retzer observed. "We hope to help them clarify for themselves what they want and what they don't want, and to communicate that to those they love."

Ten states and Washington, D.C., currently permit medical aid in dying, and roughly a dozen states have recently considered legislation to allow the option. While the Illinois General Assembly is not currently considering such a measure, Retzer pointed out volunteers have been meeting with their legislators to discuss their support.

Kim Callinan, CEO of Compassion & Choices, noted a recent poll commissioned by the organization found voters are more likely to support lawmakers who introduce or sponsor medical aid-in-dying legislation.

"The survey shows us that voters nationwide are eight times more likely than they are less likely to vote for a candidate for state legislature if they sponsor or support medical aid in dying," Callinan reported.

The same poll showed broad backing for the option, as roughly seven out of 10 survey respondents indicated support for medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients.

Jim Lee, CEO of Susquehanna Polling and Research, which conducted the poll, said support spans party lines and religious affiliations.

"The fact that we have strong consensus on this type of medical issue, I think, speaks volumes," Lee remarked.

Per the poll, roughly equal amounts of self-identified Republican and Democrat respondents support medical aid in dying, with 68% of both Catholic and Protestant respondents, 83% of Jewish respondents supporting the option.

Disclosure: Compassion & Choices contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Health Issues, Senior Issues, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021