Call Illinois Governor Pritzker. Urge him to veto assisted suicide Bill SB 1950

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

John Clark reported for WTVO news that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has received assisted suicide Bill SB 1950 and has until January 24, 2026 to either sign the bill, veto the bill or allow it to become law without a signature. Clark reported:

Pritzker has not committed to signing the bill. Speaking in Chicago on Wednesday, he described the issue as “hard” and emphasized compassion and careful consideration. He acknowledged hearing passionate arguments on both sides and shared personal anecdotes about friends who faced end-of-life decisions in other states.

“I don’t want anybody to think that making up your mind about this is very easy. It’s not. I think there’s a lot to consider, but most of all, it’s about compassion,” Pritzker said.

Olivia Olander reported for the Chicago Tribune on November 3 that Governor JB Pritzker has not yet decided if he will sign or veto the recently passed assisted suicide bill. Olander reported:

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday said he was still deciding whether he’d sign legislation that would permit doctors to help terminally ill people end their lives, after the bill narrowly passed the General Assembly last week.

“It was something that I didn’t expect and didn’t know it was going to be voted on, so we’re examining it even now,” Pritzker said.

We need everyone to call Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at 312-814-2121 or 312-814-2122 and tell him to veto assisted suicide bill SB 1950. Some talking points include:

• Legalizing assisted suicide gives doctors the right in law to be involved with causing the death of their patients at the most vulnerable time of one's life.
• Assisted suicide is not about freedom or choice but is a form of cultural and medical abandonment, people need care not death.
• A caring culture supports good end of life care and opposes assisting suicides.
• Suicide is always a tragedy. Legalizing assisted suicide enables other people to be directly involved with the suicide act.
  

It is important to remind the Governor that the disability community opposes assisted suicide. Legalizing assisted suicide provides death rather than living with dignity. If you have a personal story, please share it.

Assisted suicide Bill SB9 passed on April 9, 2025 by a vote of 8 to 3 in the Senate Executive Committee. SB9 stalled but restarted when the sponsor gutted the Sanitary Food Preparation Act (SB 1950) and replaced it with the assisted suicide bill. It is ironic that a bill that enables physicians to prescribe lethal poison to kill patients was attached to a food preparation safety bill.

Once assisted suicide is legal, the assisted suicide lobby will work to expand the law. The original assisted suicide bill was designed to pass in the legislature. Once passed incremental extensions will follow.