The Idaho Senate voted Friday 31-2 to pass SB 1070, a ban on physician assisted suicide that is based on the AUL model bill. AUL State Director Christ Troupis and Idaho Chooses Life Executive Director David Ripley were instrumental in promoting the bill’s passage.
Senator Russ Fulcher led the debate on the floor where he discussed that the legislation would maintain current medical practice in the state and clarify existing common law on the subject.
In recent months, we have become aware that Compassion & Choices, formerly the Hemlock Society, has a person working in the state who is reportedly looking to try to expand physician assisted suicide in the Pacific Northwest. The organization has already worked to legalize assisted suicide in Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
From what we understand, assisted suicide has not been banned in a state since 1993 when Kentucky last did so.