Thursday, December 20, 2018

New Mexico legislation would allow assisted suicide for people with mental illness.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

New Mexico
House Bill 90 was introduced to legalize assisted suicide in New Mexico by Deborah Armstrong (Dem). The bill is also referred to as The Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act.

According to KRQE media, Armstrong's assisted suicide bill will permit assisted suicide for people with a mental health disorders, if a mental health professional signs the request.

Michelle Lujan Grisham, the recently elected Democrat Governor of New Mexico, stated during the election that she supports the legalization of assisted suicide.

New Mexico has been debating assisted suicide for many years. During the previous legislative session the New Mexico Senate defeated the assisted suicide bill by a vote of 22 to 20.

Several years ago an activist Judge claimed that there was a right to assisted suicide in New Mexico.

On June 30, 2016 the New Mexico Supreme Court, in a 5 - 0 decision, upheld the New Mexico Court of Appeal decision that assisting a suicide is a crime in Morris v Brandenburg.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition has organized the Stopping Assisted Suicide in Your State Conference in Albuquerque New Mexico with a campaign training session on Friday, January 25 and the Conference on Saturday January 26. (Information link).

No comments: