Illinois becomes latest state to legalize assisted suicide as religious groups warn of ‘unintended consequences’

Illinois is the latest state to legalize assisted suicide, despite objections from some religious groups and lawmakers who warn it could be abused and lead to unintended consequences.

Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed Senate Bill 1950 into law, allowing terminally ill, mentally capable adults to obtain lethal drugs to end their own lives. Pritzker’s signature makes Illinois the 12th state to legalize the practice, joining states including California, Oregon, Colorado, and New Jersey, along with Washington, D.C. 

“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones who have suffered from a devastating terminal illness – and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Today, Illinois honors their strength and courage by enacting legislation that enables patients faced with debilitating terminal illnesses to make a decision, in consultation with a doctor, that helps them avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives.” 

He added that the legislation will allow physicians to consult with patients on “making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy.”  

Proponents of the practice, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, argue it is a compassionate way to allow terminally ill patients to have autonomy and end their lives rather than face extreme suffering. Yet others warn that legalization leads to a slippery slope and that allowing doctors to assist in patients’ deaths is incompatible with their role as healers. 

“The unintended consequences that arise from legalized assisted suicide include a large range of possible abuses,” the Catholic Conference of Illinois warned in a statement. “It is alarming that in states with legalized suicide, there are documented cases of people being denied life-saving medical treatment by insurance companies in lieu of the much cheaper option of life-ending drugs.” 

The poor and people with disabilities are especially “vulnerable to such abuses,” the group said, noting that major disability organizations oppose assisted suicide.  

“Assisted suicide is not the compassionate solution for those who are suffering,” the statement added, noting that palliative care, better mental health care, and community resources are better options that “truly confer the love for, and dignity of, each human life.” 

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie also expressed concern about the new law, noting it faced “significant objections” from religious groups, disability-rights advocates, and medical experts. 

“This bill goes too far without the protections Illinois families deserve,” she said. “Coroners, who will be responsible for determining causes of death, were never brought into the conversation. Stakeholders raised red flags that were brushed aside. Those gaps pose real and dangerous consequences.”