>> Terminally >> ill patients in Illinois will soon be able to end their lives with medical treatment.

Governor JB Pritzker just signed the medical aid in dying bill into law.

It allows patients with with less than 6 months to live the choice to take life ending treatment with a doctor's approval.

Supporters of the measure say it gives those who are already dying a peaceful way to go.

While opponents worry it could worsen health care disparities.

Joining us to discuss the new law are state representative Bill How'd or a Republican whose district includes Morton in Central Illinois and state Senator Linda Holmes, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Naperville, Aurora and Boulder Hill.

Thank you both for joining us.

We appreciate it.

Senator Homes, I like to start with you.

Please.

I know you have a personal connection to this legislation.

Can can you tell us why it was something that you are interested in sponsoring?

>> Yes.

The reason I decided to sponsor this, it's a bill I always wanted to sponsor in the General Assembly wasn't sure we never be plugged point where we can do it.

However, my father died when I was 15 lung cancer.

My mother in 2016 died of pancreatic cancer.

And I will say when you watch people you love it's horrible to lose somebody.

love when the guy with a terminal illness.

But watching them soccer is even worse.

>> And Senator homes that, you know, this bill is only applicable to certain patients.

Can you tell us what the restrictions are regarding who's eligible for medical aid in dying?

>> Yes, there's very many because we wanted a lot of guardrails in place.

You have to be 18 or older.

You have to have a diagnosis of a terminal illness that gives 6 months or less to live.

You also have to have both 2 doctors agree on that diagnosis and either those factors questions your mental capacity to make such a decision to make an informed decision, you then to have a licensed mental health care professional.

We in also.

>> And Representative Howard you're opposed to allowing patients access to this kind of aid.

Why is that?

>> Well, I thank first.

Thanks for having me on that.

You know, we are very sensitive as physicians.

I'm a physician.

And, you know, we are the ones who take care of these patients.

So we we take care of compassion.

We try to relieve suffering.

We fight for their dignity and worth life and in death.

And so, you know, we have and medicine.

We have a medical aid in dying.

That was what this bill was called.

And it's it's palliative care.

hospice care are ready.

>> So to you, it's it's unnecessary.

And, you know, representative in in your work as a physician, have you ever had terminally ill patients interested in something like this in in medication to end their lives?

>> A lot about sort of and the city all just and I'm also board certified in emergency medicine.

I dealt with that patients all the time.

And I've dealt with families of dying patients.

And so, you know, in the in the Illinois State Medical Society, we've debated this and multiple years and we stand opposed to it.

The largest representation of doctors in Illinois stands opposed to it and why?

Why is that neck?

And that's because really violate their oath are ancient and sacred oath that we have that we've taken.

And that is first do no harm.

And so this is incompatible with that we've taken.

And so there's so many reasons that we oppose it as physicians, not only medical out the and not only do we have medical aid in dying already with hospice care with palliative care.

We've devoted great resources that's helping are suffering and dying patients to help them well as they as they go through the dying process, but also were opposed because of the expansion that we see everywhere that it's been tried.

And I can give you examples excuse me out its been expanded all from Canada.

The euro to states and the and the United States like Oregon and Washington.

And then finally and you kind of alluded to it at the beginning of the program.

We see equity so we see 2 tiered system developing everywhere.

It's been tried.

And so those with means and those with abilities to pay for expensive treatments, like cancer treatments are able to do so.

And those who can't or have disabilities or chronic illnesses are made to feel like they almost have duty to made to feel like a they have been a burden on society or their caregivers and they almost have a duty to die.

>> And yeah, you know, Senator Holmes, that's one of the groups that we've spoken with that up opposes this access living had, you know, sort similar concerns about that saying that, quote, disabled people have faced a long history of the devaluation of our lives by medical professionals, making people more likely to face coercion into suicide, to avoid, quote, being a burden or costly to society.

Do you think that's a risk here at all?

You know, what's your response to those sorts of concerns?

>> I don't.

And the reason I don't is because number one, I actually a member of disability community.

I was diagnosed with MS 35 years ago.

So I know what it's like to live with a disability having a disability doesn't bring you any closer to the opportunity to use this measure.

You have to be diagnosed with a terminal illness that gives you 6 months or less to live and having a disability is irrelevant to that I will also say that anybody goes to a doctor and feels because they have a disability or that their life isn't worth anything needs to strongly change their physician and make sure that they are being treated by somebody who is chilly, compassion.

I will also say that, yes, we have hospice 88% of the people that choose to use medical aid in dying are already in hospice.

And there is palliative care.

I will argue that this is palliative care because 37% of people that end up getting this prescription, get it Don't even use The reason being is nobody chooses to use this right away.

Number one, let's start out understanding that these are not people that want to dine.

These are people that are going to die.

You are in intense pain.

You're going to wait until that final and what it's like.

All of a sudden you cannot take it anymore.

Which is why 37% of the people with the prescription don't use it.

I don't need it today.

I can make it one more day, but its palliative because, you know, you have that comfort of if the pain becomes unbearable.

I can use this.

And I understand we have regular hospice.

I will also tell you from the daughter watching her parents hospice and the drugs they give you.

Do not take care of the breaks, your pain that happens when you something like pancreatic or lung cancer.

>> And senator, before we run out of time, I want to ask is, well, you know, to that point about sort of this being a slippery as some opponents see it, that that this might expand.

Is there any appetite, senator from Illinois lawmakers to try and expand this right now?

>> And as you'll notice, we pass this by a very slim majority in both chambers.

So to be expanding this any time soon, I don't see happening.

it's not just the slippery because you have to understand anything that changes has to come back before our full and >> And, you know, representative, before we run out of time, we've got about a minute left.

But, you know, as as we've discussed, there is a range of palliative care for terminally ill patients.

Is there any version of of medical aid in dying you think could be a part of that anyway, this this measure could be amended or do you just see it as a sort of flat out inappropriate?

>> Well, I mean, it's so difficult because, you know, we see these patients.

We take care like I said before, and we have great compassion and medicine.

We're trying to find the answers.

We just don't believe this is the answer.

And so we as we grow the specialties of of of palliative care and hospice care, we don't want our patients to consider positions who always been healers and fighters for their life and for their care for their healing and for theirs relieving offering to be seen as now those who will help them commit suicide.

It's against it's against picks and it's against really our principles and our practices that we have had for decades.

>> All right.

Well, I know it's a topic that you both feel passionate about and we thank you for joining us to discuss it.

And fortunately, we are out of time State Senator Linda Home State