February 16th, 2019 by WCBC Radio
Retired radio talk show host Diane Rehm is speaking in favor of a Maryland measure to allow the terminally ill to end their lives with a doctor’s help, but opponents say it could enable vulnerable people who aren’t terminally ill to kill themselves.
Rehm, a former NPR host, has supported assisted-death legislation since her husband, John, died while in hospice care in 2014. She says he felt betrayed the law would not allow a physician to end his suffering.
Paul Okerblom listened with opponents outside a crowded hearing room. He says elderly people could choose to end their lives because they feel they have become a burden.
Medically assisted deaths are legal in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.