Aid in dying bill passes legislative committee, goes to full House for debate

Mar. 5—HARTFORD — A bill that would legalize terminally ill people to end their own lives cleared the Public Health Committee on Friday, as did a proposal to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes.

Under the first bill, terminally ill patients with six months or less to live would be able to request and self-administer life-ending medication.

Patients who are at least 18 years old would have to request the medication from their physician three times, including once in writing, and witnesses would have to attest in writing that to the best of their knowledge, the patient appears to be of sound mind and is acting voluntarily and not being coerced.

AID IN DYING BILL

PASSES COMMITTEE: The legislature's Public Health Committee moved to the full House a bill that would allow terminally ill patients with six months or less to live to take their own lives..

TERMS: It would enable patients to request life-ending medication from their physician and self-administer the drugs.

ARGUMENTS: Proponents say it is merciful, while critics argue there aren't enough legal protections in the bill, including requiring a death certificate to state the cause of death as the underlying health condition rather than the life-ending medication.

Two physicians would have to certify that the patient is competent and voluntarily asking for the life-ending medication, and doctors would have the ability to refuse to participate.

Sen. M. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, who works as a physician, said that while an overwhelming number of dying patients have access to palliative and hospice care, all do not, and some families have told him they wish there were ways to ease their loved ones' suffering.

"I don't want to put my values onto others, but I want to make sure that the people who are suffering and have those needs, that they have an opportunity to be able to get the best care that they can," he said. "That's why despite my hardwiring, I'm going to support this bill to move out of committee."

Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, said during debate that he was unsure Friday morning how he would vote.

"I struggle with this as a person of faith, obviously, but also as somebody who has seen many of my own loved ones up close at that period of time," he said, adding that his father died of undetected stage 4 lung cancer when Scanlon was 20 years old.

"I'm not sure that I would make the choice," he said. "I'm not sure that he would've made this choice, but who am I to tell somebody else that they can't make this choice."

Ultimately, Scanlon supported the measure because it provides people nearing death with a choice.

"I am not sold on this bill, but I am sold on the notion that that choice is important to a lot of people, and I have to respect that," he said.

Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, was in tears when speaking about a series of loved ones who have died in recent years, saying she has struggled with the morality of the aid-in-dying bill.

While she said that concerns of critics must be addressed before she were to support the measure on the House floor, but added, "Who am I to tell you that you have to live in pain?"

Ultimately, Cook said she voted to pass the bill out of committee to continue the discussion, although "this weighs heavy on me," she said.

Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, raised a concern about a provision in the bill that requires the death certificate to state the cause of death as the underlying issue rather than the life-ending medication, which she said is "fraudulent."

Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Bridgeport, committee co-chairman, vowed to work with critics to tweak the bill to help alleviate their concerns, but noted that it must first be voted out of committee in order to move forward at all.

The bill now awaits action in the House.

Committee members also voted to send a bill to the Senate that would ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products.

Some critics said they are supportive of the attempt to minimize the use of tobacco products, but also noted that there is no telling how much revenue the state could lose.

Estimates have ranged between tens of millions of dollars to more than $100 million, but Steinberg noted that there also could be cost benefits related to health care that "could exceed the revenue" lost.

"There's obviously some revenue impact," he said, "but we are not sure about the precise number."

While proponents say it could help prevent people, particularly young people, from smoking, critics argue the products are legal and adults should have the ability to use them if they choose.

Also Friday, the committee was supposed to vote on a House bill that aims to eliminate the religious exemption for vaccines for kindergarten through 12th graders.

However, Steinberg said that House and Senate Democratic leaders chose to draft two identical bills.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has left some uncertainty regarding the normal legislative process.

"We are not comfortable as a legislature having both the House and the Senate in the building at the same time," Steinberg said, adding that having two identical bills would enable either chamber to start the debate.

Critics argued the decision to draft two bills further complicates a process that is already pushed to the limit because of the pandemic.

"I'm really baffled as to why it's necessary to do this because you can always put in an amendment in another bill," Rep. Whit Betts, R-Plymouth, said. "I just think it sets a very bad precedent."

Committee members also voted to draft a bill introduced by Anwar that would ban the sale of tobacco products at pharmacies.

He argued that pharmacies are health care facilities and shouldn't be selling products that are harmful and fatal when used for their intended purpose.

Critics, however, said that the bill targets specific industries and is discriminatory. Some also argued that if lawmakers want to prevent people from smoking, they should ban tobacco products altogether.

"This is an overreach," Rep. William Petit, R-Plainville.

Petit, who is a physician, said that while he tells people they shouldn't smoke, "at some point, there is personal responsibility."

During session, Eric can be found at the Capitol in Hartford, reporting the information that readers want and need to know. For insights and updates on legislation, politicians, committees, and commissions that affect the entire state of Connecticut, follow Eric on Twitter: @BednerEric.