Contact:
Krysta West
Communications Director
Senate Republican Office
(207) 287-1505
krysta.west@legislature.maine.gov

***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Senator Roger Katz to Hold Press Conference on Death with Dignity Bill

Who: Senator Roger Katz (R-Kennebec)
What: Press Conference on LD 347, “An Act To Support Death with Dignity
Where: State House, Room 425
When: Tuesday, April 4 at 12:00 PM

LD 347, which is modeled after a Vermont statute, would give individuals who are terminally ill, and often times in great pain, with no chance for recovery, the right to choose how they meet their end, with dignity.

Similar laws exist in a number of states including Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana and New Mexico.

“The premise for this legislation is simple: a competent adult ought to have control over his or her own life, generally free from government interference,” said Sen. Katz. “We respect a person’s right to make their own decisions during their own life, that same ability should extend to decisions at the end of life, as well.

“It’s about dignity, it’s about self-determination and it’s about the right to choose one’s own path. I know that this proposal elicits strong emotional reactions on both sides, but in true compassion, we should not judge the choices that a dying person makes about how they meet their own death.”

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