By: Senator Bill Lieske

On Thursday, January 25, weeks before the beginning of the new legislative session, the Minnesota House of Representatives committee that deals with healthcare issues heard and approved a controversial bill that would legalize assisted suicide in Minnesota. The bill’s author, Rep. Mike Freiberg, said before the hearing that he was confident the bill would pass the House this year.

I have been getting a lot of calls, letters, and emails about this issue. 

It is incredibly complex, and there are no simple answers. As someone who believes strongly in the power, rights, and independence of the individual, I am sympathetic to those who argue that everyone should have the right to bodily autonomy. And certainly those who are suffering deserve our compassion.

But I also believe we need to proceed very cautiously. Every step we take in this direction diminishes the value of life, whether we view those steps as reasonable or not.

I worry that if assisted suicide is available as an option, people who are suffering from a terrible medical condition will feel more like a burden on their loved ones. The message it sends is that death is a reasonable option. I would hate for anyone to feel pressured to end their life to avoid burdening their family members.

I also worry about the slippery slope, even with possible safeguards that can be put in place. Once assisted suicide is legalized, eligibility will almost certainly expand in the following years. In Canada, people who are disabled can seek assisted suicide, and soon it will be open to those who have mental illness as a sole qualifying condition. People who are experiencing poverty and homelessness are turning to assisted suicide. These situations are tragic. They can be, and should be, addressed and improved. I do not want Minnesota to follow the same path.

Our current circumstances are not always set in stone. Medical prognoses can sometimes be incorrect. We have all seen miracle recoveries from dire diagnoses. New, game-changing discoveries are happening all the time. Financial fortunes change, and mental health can improve. Death, on the other hand, is final.

We are fortunate to live in a state with some of the best healthcare in the world. I would much rather see us focus on improving care and strengthening our support for people who are in these difficult circumstances. 

We should work to expand education on advanced care planning and end-of-life options, so people can make more informed decisions. We should promote wider accessibility and training in palliative and hospice services to provide more compassionate care alternatives. We should improve support and accommodations for seniors, disabled individuals, and people facing mental health struggles. And we should create an economy that lightens the financial stress that so many people are facing.

We should strive to create a society where assisted suicide does not feel like a necessary choice. 

I personally have lived through a case of terminal illness with my grandmother. She wished she could have had assisted suicide as an option. I would have lost out on the time I did get with her and the stories she told because there was nothing other than the ability to talk near the end. Was it hard watching her suffer in pain? Absolutely. Would I have the cherished memories of the last months? No. This is why giving someone a choice to end their life prematurely is a bad and slippery slope.

Gov. Walz has already signaled he is open to the idea of legalizing assisted suicide, but it is hard to say what will end up happening with this bill – especially in the Senate. With only a one-vote majority, all it takes is one Democrat in opposition to keep it from becoming law.

I would love to hear from more of you about this issue. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think: sen.bill.lieske@mnsenate.gov.

It is a privilege to serve you.

– Bill