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Heated testimony as Senate panel considers bill to bar consent defense for physician‑aid‑in‑dying
Summary
SB 136 would make patient consent not a legal defense to homicide charges in cases of physician‑aid‑in‑dying. Sponsors argued Baxter left a legal 'gray area' and cited international statistics and slippery‑slope risks; opponents, including terminally ill people, hospice clinicians, disability advocates and major medical organizations, urged rejection, saying Baxter and the Right of the Terminally Ill Act currently protect access and clinical safeguards. Committee requested a legal review note before executive action.
Senator Carl Glimm opened Senate Bill 136, saying the measure would provide legislative clarity by declaring that a patient's consent to physician‑aid‑in‑dying is not a defense to homicide. Glimm cited the Montana Supreme Court's 2009 Baxter decision as prompting legislative action and argued the bill is necessary to protect vulnerable people and prevent incremental expansion of assisted‑dying practices.
The hearing drew lengthy, sharply divided testimony. Supporters included Lieutenant Governor Kristin Juras, religious and pro‑life groups, and ethicists who…
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