Access Living friends and allies,
We are proud to announce that Illinois’ Assisted Suicide bill, SB 1950, was not called for a vote in the Senate, and will not move for now. The Illinois legislature has now adjourned until veto session this fall. Despite the Illinois House passing SB 1950, key state senators stood firm to protect the health and well-being of people with disabilities, those with little to no healthcare, and other vulnerable community members. As you are all aware, similar legislation in Illinois has failed in previous years, because of the tenacious advocacy of our community leaders, friends, and partners. We thank our colleagues in the Stop Assisted Suicide Illinois coalition. We thank YOU, our community members. Your calls and emails to legislators made a difference; we thank you for your care and consideration for disabled people in Illinois.
Assisted suicide legislation is not going to go away. We anticipate an attempt to pass another assisted suicide bill next session. However, the collective power of our community was on full display. Our team is committed to monitoring the General Assembly, and to opposing any attempt to legalize assisted suicide, while educating legislators on the inevitable danger of such legalization. Please take some time to rest and care for yourselves. Access Living appreciates your hard work and dedication.
More to come, but for now, we take a breath and bow, and live to fight another day.
If you have any questions or want to connect on this issue, please contact Sebastian Nalls, HCBS/Healthcare Policy Analyst, at snalls@accessliving.or