Illinois Legalizes Assisted Suicide, and New York Will Likely Follow
Gov. Kathy Hochul is poised to sign the legislation. Meanwhile, participation in the “Medical Assistance in Dying” program is the 4th leading cause of death in Canada.
Illinois’ recent legalization of assisted suicide marks a historic but deeply divisive shift in state policy—one that many critics argue was pushed through with little regard for opposing voices.
Illinois has become the 12th U.S. state, alongside Washington, D.C., to legalize assisted suicide, despite strong objections from the state’s Catholic bishops as well as pro-life and disability rights groups. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1950 on December 12, permitting terminally ill adult residents to obtain a physician’s prescription for life-ending medication to self-administer.
The law, which will take effect in September 2026, defines a terminal illness as an incurable condition expected to cause death within six months and explicitly excludes major depressive disorder as a qualifying diagnosis. The counterarguments were ignored entirely.
On Dec. 10, the Illinois Catholic bishops sent a letter to Pritzker, urging him to veto the bill, and to instead ensure the state’s residents have “compassionate, loving care provided by trained professionals and/or loving family members” at the end of their lives.
The following night, dozens of the measure’s opponents braved the damp chill to hold a vigil outside the governor’s downtown Chicago office. Doctors and advocates for persons with disabilities spoke out against the bill, pleading that Pritzker veto it.
In November, Access Living, a Chicago-based disability advocacy organization, condemned the bill’s passage, warning that its clients — mostly persons of color with low income, who rely on Medicaid and other services — “will endure the brunt of this harmful legislation.”
“Illinois’ bill does not offer freedom; it harms people with disabilities,” the group said in a Nov. 3 statement.
Meanwhile, New York is poised to follow suit.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday that she has reached a deal with state legislative leaders to approve a bill to give terminally ill people the legal ability to end their own lives with prescribed medication.
In an op-ed in the Albany Times Union, Hochul said she supports the proposal but has made an agreement with lawmakers to include “guardrails” in the measure before she signs it into law.
Hochul, a Catholic, said she came to the decision after hearing from New Yorkers in the “throes of pain and suffering,” as well as their children, while also considering opposition from “individuals of many faiths who believe that deliberately shortening one’s life violates the sanctity of life.”
As of this writing, in addition to Illinois, medically assisted suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaiʻi, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia, and is permitted by court ruling in Montana.
Cumulatively, just over ten thousand Americans are known to have died using medical aid in dying (MAID) in the U.S. states where it is legal, across roughly the past 30 years.
Looking at the program a little north of Illinois and New York, the implementation of MAID seems a little more robust in Canada. Over 16,000 lives were claimed last year via this program.
Canada’s government-run euthanasia program increased its death toll again last year, taking more than 16,000 lives, and placing medically assisted suicide as the fourth leading cause of death in the country.
According to an annual report published by the Canadian government, 16,499 people were killed through the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program in 2024, increasing 6.9 percent from the previous year. Close to 75 percent of the 22,535 people who applied for the program were approved.
…The horrors of government-funded murder should not be understated. Canada’s program has grown every year since it began, as restrictions continue to loosen, despite reports of corrupt and coercive practices. Developed countries view Canada as a “cautionary tale” where government killing has become an expansive and accepted norm.
One example of what assisted suicide programs can morph into is found in the case of Jolene Van Alstine, a woman from Regina, Saskatchewan, with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism. She has been unable to obtain the complex surgery she needs in her home province and was approved for MAID, with an assessment visit reported for January 7.
Van Alstine has repeatedly said she would prefer to have the required surgery and to live, but applied for MAID after years of untreated, debilitating symptoms, including extreme bone pain, nausea, and vomiting, and no doctors available to treat her. Conservative pundit Glenn Beck learned of the case and is trying to help her to the U.S. for care.
Beck posted on X Tuesday that he would help arrange treatment in the United States for Van Alstine. In a series of posts, he said surgeons had contacted his organization offering assistance and his team was in contact with Van Alstine and her partner.
Van Alstine’s partner, Miles Sundeen, confirmed he was contacted Tuesday by Beck’s staff on X.
“He’s offered to pay for at least travel and accommodation expenses, trying to get help for her in the United States,” Sundeen said in an interview with CBC on Tuesday.
“For us to have it done in the States would be financially impossible otherwise.”
Her condition is treatable, but Saskatchewan doesn't have a surgeon who can complete the surgery. She has waited years to see a specialist
U.S. commentator Glenn Beck offers to pay for surgery to save Canadian approved for MAIDhttps://t.co/FgRvlzb6Wh
— National Post (@nationalpost) December 14, 2025
I have to say, not being able to provide a doable surgery during an 8-year period, then offering to help you die is not my idea of a great healthcare plan.
I can only hope our healthcare system does not devolve to this point.
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Comments
If you want to visualize the end result of this nascent policy, I suggest that you review what happened in nursing homes in New York during the pandemic. Is this the power you want your government to have?
I don’t.
We have allowed our government to completely slip the leash. To invert Reagan, we have a government that has people, not people that have a government.
In Canada, assisted suicide is the 5th biggest cause of death.
oddly enough
living under socialism makes you want to commit suicide
So does having some sort of nasty, painful ailment and treatment is six months off.
true
nothing says lefty compassion like a wait list
Federal charges for deprivation of civil rights under color of law for everyone who murders under this program.
I don’t get the conservative opposition to assisted suicide. My conservative father had a copy of Final Exit on the shelf just in case.
Blanchot, I think it was, saw suicide as the ultimate proof of freedom. Possibly as a theme in The Space of Literature.
Animals, Rilke says, have their deaths behind them and God in front. Duino Elegy 8
It might be an option to rid the world of pretentious middlebrow pseudo-intellectuals like you.
Because, as seen in Europe and Canada, it is just an enabling act for murdering the “inconvenient”.
The government (and business interests) will use it to kill those who are expensive and inconvenient. Like every government has for hundreds of years.
You are a poor study on both Nazi Germany and the USSR if you don’t understand how this plays out.
You might be old and in pain and think it’s good to have the option. Otherwise you get used as a body for health care fund transfers until you can’t be kept alive any longer.
I’ve buried a lot of family so I’m keenly aware of the circumstances from all angles. That list includes multiples who took matters into their own hands in the end. I know too well the shit show that is end of life.
I’ve also dealt with foreign governments who refuse to treat the expensive people. I’m not even talking about the suicide- rather “your ______ is too expensive to treat, so here’s some pills.” They didn’t even tell him what it was that was killing him. The country’s name rhymes with Ukraine. When this becomes mainstream legal and sanctioned- it ALWAYS goes the same way. Also I will point out- the same people pushing this are also the same types who believe the government should get all your assets when you die because your heirs didn’t earn it.
It is weaponized stupidity to let the government and insurance companies the court advantage in this game.
so no. HELL NO.
correct
in pure terms a conservative would leave it up to the person
in reality, a conservative knows how the leftists will administer the law
<—– THIS.
I don’t understand it either. I normally disagree with your comments, but in this case, no.
My brother was in horrible shape the last few weeks of his life. No, there was no cure. No riding it out. He was terminal. He was in pain. He WANTED to go, but, we had no way of helping him.
I would agree with you… IF I could be convinced that gov’t, Physicians/Nurses, Hospital admin, IN companies, society at large would resist the inclination to cut costs by kicking out the plugs or worse delay, denial and/or effectively doing that by Byzantine process to get medical care. That it would be restricted to physical health/pain only. That it would be totally voluntary, no coercion, no pressure, no ‘gee, do you want to be a burden on your family’?
My understanding is… where it isn’t legal and it’s palliative, up the morphine to the not wake up zone. I won’t say how I know that.
The hospice people allotted my sister-in-law, a certain amount of morphine to relieve his pain. But they had to keep an eye on it like hawks because of our wonderful government’s war on drugs. I won’t mention something that we tried, but it didn’t work.
I had a pal who, in the end, could barely move a muscle — ALS.
He managed it — either without assistance, or as far as anybody could prove.
This is how free men do it. It’s none of the government’s business.
Some people have the luxury of never having witnessed someone dying inch by inch for weeks at a time in agony.
I’m not opposed to suicide.
I’m not opposed to asking a pal to help.
I’m opposed to government thinking it has any MFg say in the process at all.
Most expensive health care occurs in the last five years of life. Killing the old people is a sure way to bring down the costs of health insurance. If we killed the old people around 62 it would make social security solvent too. Progressive thinking!
Anthony Trollope, in his one foray into science fiction, imagined this scenario in The fixed Period.
Logan’s Run cut the expenses even lower.
That movie needs a remake. Tom Hardy would rock it.
There was also a tv show that wasn’t terrible for the time
Making Social Security solvent is a media and government lie. The government took the Social Security funds and put then into the General funds back during LBJ’s time. There is no special fund for Social Security.
SS must instantly return to the economy every dollar it takes in lest the money supply fall. The wealth is young workers in the program, not a pile of dollars. The “fund” is always a pile of IOUs.
SS would be solvent instantly if they did the correct thing: raise the retirement age for benefits until the number of retirees can be supported by the number of workers.
If you want to retire earlier, bridge the gap on your own dime.
“If we killed the old people around 62 it would make social security solvent too.”
I just came back from a Chamber luncheon where the local guru CPA informed us all how “No tax on Social Security” doesn’t mean anything close to that. Neither does “no tax on overtime” or “no tax on tips” (though that one comes closest). Disillusioned when Trump lies same as the rest of them.
Communists love death. They just can’t stop killing people. It’s who they are.
Now Kathy can have her chief of staff off her.
Oh, off as in verb.
The Chinese chick? She might like that.
Doctors: So, we hear you’re not feeling well. Have you considered killing yourself?
Future Doctors: We should just go ahead and kill that person.
“Future Doctors: We should just go ahead and kill that person.”
“It may, in the end, be necessary for Edison Carter to die.”
I came across Max Headroom recently on a streaming service. I had forgotten how grim it was (the recurring “body banks” theme). Also how bad the dialog was. Still love watching Matt Frewer, though.
Loved it when it came out. 20 years later I bought and rewatched it and thought “what did I ever see in it!!”
Death and taxes do have a quantum entanglement.
Death OR taxes is more certain than death AND taxes.
Can I propose Brandon Johnson to be the first recipient of this medical care?
Regarding the lady with the thyroid problem, it’s important to remember that in Canada, each province runs its own health care system. When this hit the news, the provincial health care system was shamed into looking for referrals outside of Saskatchewan, and they came up with three doctors (one in Alberta, one in Ontario, and I can’t recall the third). She cannot do that herself. Part of it is to curtail province hopping (ie. can’t get this in Saskatchewan so I’ll just drive over to Manitoba and use up their resources). But she is at the mercy of the government system. It does help to know people within the system who can help you get treatment faster, otherwise she is an example of what happens a lot up there: Once you have seen the specialist, things usually speed up, but the problem is getting to see that specialist often takes a long time.
The provinces do use the US as a relief valve in certain circumstances, sending patients down to US facilities at the government’s expense. As she and her partner said, they can’t afford to come to the US themselves. But the government doesn’t think it is critical or unique enough for them to pick up the tab.
Ironically, if the US socialized the health care system, Canada would suffer.
when the canadians come to the usa for healthcare…how many use the “free” system?
as opposed to paying out-of-pocket?
b/c technically hospitals cant turn away people
Hospitals are required to stabilize patients under EMTALA. They are not obligated to provide for every illness or surgery patients are looking for.
Fix the immediate problem, as in “Treat ‘em and Street ‘em’l
Hospitals turn away patients every day. AFTER they validate there is no life threatening issue.
“Ironically, if the US socialized the health care system, Canada would suffer.”
More like tautologically.
Socialist polities sponge off capitalist ones whenever they have the opportunity — and when they can’t, they usually just curl up and die.
Note the deep blue states continually getting “bailouts” from Washington.
Is there any truth to the rumor that Hillary Clinton has been brought in as a consultant?
As for MAID, in my opinion, part of the reason it is more robust up there is that Canada is a post-Christian nation at this point. A sizeable majority of people in Canada have never set foot in a house of worship of any kind. The (liberal) mainline churches have collapsed attendance-wise, the Catholic Church does not have the clout it used to have, and a lot of the immigrants are coming from non-Christian countries. MAID isn’t as big of a deal if you think life doesn’t have any God-given meaning here or there isn’t an afterlife where you’ve only got one of two places to end up.
Going to disagree with probably most of you. The state should have no say whether I live or die, and I should be able to obtain medical assistance, so I don’t botch it from a health professional willing to give it. Period. Control of one’s very life is the ultimate freedom.
Religious objections are irrelevant. You don’t get to apply your religion to anyone else. What are you – a muslim?
Concern about coercion whether to reduce health costs or harvest body parts or not inconvenience people is relevant. It can be handled through severe penalties for any coercion.,
Like there are severe penalties for benefits and immigration fraud????
Don’t care frankly. You don’t get to say whether I live or die, That’s my decision, You only get to say whether I get assistance or not and denying it is barbaric,
agree in principle
but as stated before
the government is evil and has a huge conflict of interest when it comes to life or death decisions
bottom line is
a person should have that right to end their own lives via a doctor vs via drugs guns hangings etc
Then, the government should not be in the picture pro or con. IT IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
My body, my choice.
Kill yourself all you want –you don’t get to ask others to kill you for you. Because that’s murder and accessory to murder.
“First, do no harm” is the crux of the Hippocratic Oath and aiding in suicide is breaking that oath.
It’s assist and it is killing not murder if it isn’t illegal which it shouldn’t be,
Assisting in death – harm – that’s your opinion. Mine is that it isn’t. It’s a mercy.
As for do no harm, pfftttt. If only that were true. It isn’t unfortunately, Plenty of harm is done and rationalized: recent examples include covid and trans procedures for children.
Meh. Asking isn’t a crime.
And in my opinion, if asked, assisting shouldn’t be, either.
With my comment about Canada being a post-Christian nation, not only does it mean that the influence of Christianity has dramatically waned and most people aren’t going to church, the country as a whole has moved towards a mentality of life having no larger meaning. I grew up in Canada so I don’t know how to describe the feeling beyond a sense of national malaise. That, IMO, makes it easier for MAID to be broadened every few years.
What is absolutely happening in Canada is cases like the lady in Regina: people who would prefer to live, but they see themselves as a burden or soon-to-be burden on others, and/or they can’t get health care or other social services, so they just decide to use MAID to put an end to it. These failures of the social safety net are a huge public policy issue, religion or no.
Yes, there are people like me who are concerned for the souls of those who choose assisted suicide. I acknowledge there are people in the public sphere who say, “I don’t think the government should allow assisted suicide because I’m a Christian.” The nature of public policy is beliefs being imposed on others. If it’s not yours, it’s someone else’s. But there are people out there who aren’t Christians and oppose it, just like there are non-Christians who oppose abortion.
I mentioned religion but I didn’t specify any denomination. We are not a theocracy. Theocracies are autocratic. We shouldn’t become one.
The state already has NO say.
Assisted suicide gives them they say.
The state has a say, It says assistance is a crime.
cop kills bad guy>>>murder charges against the cop
governments sanction suicides>>what could go wrong!!!?!
lefty demands no death penalty for actual murderers rapists etc
but stop welfare payments??? yeah…suicide is legal
All the states are doing is assisting in the suicide of the country. The threshold of concern is a state requiring the death of a person who is a “drag on society”…..the elderly, the infirmed. …the wrong politics. New York took out those first two during COVID.
Hochul looks like something out of a horror movie. Fits with the topic.
The new Crypt Mistress? It works.
Let’s let JB Pritzker try it out first, and then if it works, we can proceed from there . . .
Ive noticed he seems to have lost weight. Using one of the weight loss drugs to get in shape for a presidential run.
An odd choice for Illinois.
As the home of Chicago, I would have thought they would have legalized assisted murder first.
They effectively have with the DAs garnering the assists.
Given this is the Christmas season, I should not have laughed as hard as I did at this comment.
You’re allowed. Black humor is some of the best humor. Also, better laughing than crying.
But getting to my REAL question…
“Illinois Legalizes Assisted Suicide, and New York Will Likely Follow”
…is there any way to send in donations?
What you really want to say is
…. is there any way to send in nominations!!
The vile, stupid and evil neo-communist/Islamofascist Dhimmi-crats are death cultists.
They wish death upon, and, inflict death upon, unborn babies, Jews, Christians and conservative political opponents.
The groups that are immune from the Dhimmi-crats’ bloodlust are Muslim terrorists, eco-terrorists, illegal alien murderers and domestic criminal murderers.
After Assisted Suicide was approved in The Netherlands years ago I saw reports of assisted suicide being used on people without their approval in hospitals, I believe the same thing will be done in any state that approves it in hospitals and homecare places. If something can be warped this will be.
Queen for a day but MAID for a moment? Seems a bit regressive.
The Clintons have been doing this for years. In fact, they have a copyright on the term “Arkancide” – everyone knows what that means.
They should teach it in public schools. Maybe they due in Arkansas.
In fact, I bet they’re backing this to the hilt.
It will finally let corpses with bullet wounds in the back of their heads be ruled “suicides.”
EXCELLENT NEWS!!!!!!!!
The more leftists abort and assist in their suicide, the less we have to deal with.
Democrats, Marxists, and leftists. A death cult.
Illinois Legalizes Assisted Suicide, and New York Will Likely Follow
both governors should lead by example
Like abortion, those who fight for it NEVER receive it.