skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, February 20, 2025

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

Trump Orders End to Federal Benefits for Undocumented Migrants; AL Senate committee advances bill to teach middle schoolers conflict resolution; Public health experts warn about pollution from burned plastics in LA fires; Schools struggle to keep up with diabetes tech, leaving parents to fill gaps.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

State legislators chip away at early voting laws, the North Carolina Supreme Court election saga continues, and universal private school voucher programs expand nationwide, putting public school funding at risk.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Taos, NM sheriff won't comply with immigration enforcement that could erode public trust, NH worries that a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to vacation elsewhere, and Southern states promote workarounds to improve education.

Delaware advances medical aid-in-dying bill

play audio
Play

Monday, May 6, 2024   

Advocates supporting the legalization of medical aid in dying in Delaware are optimistic following the recent passage of House Bill 140. It is now under consideration in the state Senate.

If passed, the bill would allow terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to choose medical aid in dying as part of their advanced directives.

Judy Govatos, a patient and advocate for medical aid in dying, explained the proposed law would give terminally ill patients the power to decide how they want to handle their end-of-life care.

"This isn't just about me," Govatos pointed out. "It's about understanding that dying is a very vital part of life. And the legacy we leave has to do with beginnings and endings. And there's a beginning and ending to death and then a beginning again."

Govatos acknowledged the opposition from religious groups, stressing the legislation respects diverse beliefs while offering options for those who do not find solace in enduring pain. The Catholic Bishops of Maryland wrote in a statement, "Human life is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore sacred." They also wrote medical progress in pain management allows for enhanced comfort for the terminally ill and can "improve the quality of the remainder of their lives."

Kim Callinan, president and CEO of Compassion & Choices, shared the stories of Heather Block and Ron Silverio, the two Delaware residents who advocated for the medical aid-in-dying law but died suffering without being able to access it. She said their stories demonstrated the urgency of passing the legislation, as there are real people behind the legislative inaction.

"When you have legislation that benefits people and harms nobody, there's really no reason not to move forward," Callinan argued. "Our hope is that lawmakers can see the people behind this bill and recognize that the time is now to pass this legislation in Delaware."

Currently, medical aid in dying is legal in 10 U.S. states: Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, New Mexico, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, California and Hawai'i as well as in Washington, D.C.

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
Doctors caution that children, the elderly and people with chronic conditions such as asthma and COPD are the most vulnerable to toxic air pollution from wildfire smoke and ash. (Prikhodko/Adobe Stock)

play sound

After thousands of homes and businesses burned in the Los Angeles fires, public health doctors are warning about the toxic pollution from plastics …


Social Issues

play sound

As Congress continues to threaten deep cuts to the Medicaid program, a new KFF report shows how some of the proposed changes could end coverage for …

Environment

play sound

Over the last 120 years, U.S. presidents have used the Antiquities Act almost 300 times to recognize national monuments, protecting portions of …


Diesel exhaust represents about 80-percent of the potential cancer risk from all air toxics in the Puget Sound area. (Natalia Bratslavsky/Adobe Stock)

play sound

New legislation would transition more ocean-going container ships to run off electricity instead of diesel while they are docked at Washington ports…

Environment

play sound

Virginia lawmakers and clean air advocates are closely watching budget talks in Congress. They hope clean energy tax incentives, passed in previous …

Mississippi's prison system has been under federal investigation for unsafe conditions. A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice report found that "conditions in three Mississippi prisons violate the Constitution. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Mississippi grapples with chronic violence and unconstitutional conditions in its prisons, new research provides a roadmap for reducing harm and …

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Environment

play sound

Legislation to provide legal immunity for pesticide companies has been introduced in state capitols across the country and lawmakers in Boise could so…

 

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