Maine

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2021
Maine Releases Second Annual Report on assisted suicide.
The “Patient-Directed Care 2020 Annual Report”, dated March 1, 2021, contains sparse information, lacking details that are included in reports from other states. All of the statistics are found on page 5 of the report.

2020
Maine’s First Annual Report on state’s doctor-prescribed suicide bill.
(Dated March 18, 2020 but released in May)
The Report which is 31 pages long, contains only one page (p. 4) of statistics regarding use of the law during its first three months of operation.

“1 Mainer chose ‘death with dignity’ in new law’s first 3 months”
(Bangor Daily News — May 4, 2020)
A longtime Maine resident with prostate cancer was the only person to end their life using the state’s new death with dignity law last year, according to a new report.

2019
“The Maine Death with Dignity Act” was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills on June 12, 2019.
Text of bill
Analysis of bill
Signing statement by Gov. Janet Mills

2018
Assisted-suicide advocates started a petition drive to gather enough signatures to put an Oregon-style doctor-prescribed suicide bill on the November 2019 ballot.  Sufficient signatures were not obtained.
Text of initiative
Analysis of initiative

Current Maine Law
A person is guilty of aiding or soliciting suicide if he intentionally aids or solicits another to commit suicide, and the other commits or attempts suicide. (MRSA title 17-A, § 204)

2017
An Oregon-style doctor-prescribed suicide bill, titled “An Act to Support Death with Dignity,” (LD 347)  was introduced in Maine. The bill did not pass.
Text of bill
Analysis of bill

An additional bill which was virtually identical to LD 347 but titled, “An Act to Promote Life with Dignity,” (LD 1066) was also introduced in Maine. It did not pass.
Text of bill
Analysis of bill

“Maine Voices: Don’t sign petition to put flawed assisted-suicide law on state ballot”
(Press Herald — November 29, 2018)
Assisted-suicide laws are the most blatant forms of discrimination based on disability in our society today….This petition is not limited in scope and is actually far more dangerous than the proponents want to admit….The only real protections in the law are for people other than the patient, foreclosing any realistic potential for investigation of foul play.

Maine Governor “LePage says he will veto assisted suicide bill”
(Press Herald — April 18, 2017)
LePage’s promised veto casts significant doubt on the prospects for the proposal, which is similar to one narrowly defeated in 2015.  Two-thirds of the Legislature would have to vote to override a veto.

“Maine Voices: ‘Death with dignity’ bill well-meaning, but overlooks drawbacks”
(Press Herald — April 12, 2017)
Last year, Betty Brown, my elderly Aunt Izzy’s best “friend,” was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for exploitation of an elderly person….As a practicing physician in Maine for 32 years, I have seen the best and worst of human behavior directed toward those with terminal illnesses….Every aspect of a dysfunctional family may become magnified….
Can a legislatures that could not properly supervise the Maine Turnpike Authority while a decade of embezzlement happened under its nose pass a law that safeguards our most frail population?

“Mainers debate ‘Death with Dignity’ bill”
(WGME — April 4, 2017)
Stephanie Packer of California spoke in opposition to the bill.
Packer said her insurance company in California, one of five states with assisted suicide, would not cover her chemotherapy treatments. But she says they did tell her for a $1.20 co-pay, she could get the end of life drugs.
“They won’t pay for me to spend time with my kids,” Packer said.  “But for a buck, I can kill myself.”

Background

In 2015, an Oregon-style doctor-prescribed suicide bill, S.B. 452 (LD 1270), titled “An Act Regarding Patient-directed Care at the End of Life,” was introduced in Maine. It failed to gain approval.
Text of S.B. 452 (LD 1270)
Analysis of S.B. 452 (LD 1270)

In 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999 legislative proposals to legalize assisted suicide were introduced.  All of them failed.  In November 2000, the “Maine Death with Dignity Act” — a measure that was virtually identical to Oregon’s assisted-suicide law — appeared on the Maine ballot.  On November 7, 2000, despite campaigning by Oregon’s governor for it, Maine voters said NO to Oregon-style assisted suicide.

Analysis of November 2000 Voter Initiative

Text of November 2000 “Death with Dignity Act”

Maine targeted to promote national right-to-die agenda
In 2000, assisted suicide activists from around the country poured funds into the Maine initiative campaign.

In 2013, a doctor-prescribed suicide bill was proposed in the Maine legislature.
On Monday, June 3, 2013, the bill, LD 1065, An Act for Patient-directed Care at the End of Life, sponsored by Rep. Joe Brooks of Winterport, ME, was soundly defeated.
On May 31, 2013, the Maine House of Representatives voted 95-43 to support the Committee Majority Report of OUGHT NOT TO PASS, following some emotional testimony on both sides.  On June 3, 2013, the Maine Senate approved the Majority Report of OUGHT NOT TO PASS with no floor discussion.
Text of LD 1065
ANALYSIS OF LD 1065

Articles

“Maine Voices: ‘Death with dignity’ bill well-meaning, but overlooks drawbacks”
(Press Herald — April 12, 2017)
Last year, Betty Brown, my elderly Aunt Izzy’s best “friend,” was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for exploitation of an elderly person….As a practicing physician in Maine for 32 years, I have seen the best and worst of human behavior directed toward those with terminal illnesses….Every aspect of a dysfunctional family may become magnified….
Can a legislatures that could not properly supervise the Maine Turnpike Authority while a decade of embezzlement happened under its nose pass a law that safeguards our most frail population?

“Mainers debate ‘Death with Dignity’ bill”
(WGME — April 4, 2017)
Stephanie Packer of California spoke in opposition to the bill.
Packer said her insurance company in California, one of five states with assisted suicide, would not cover her chemotherapy treatments. But she says they did tell her for a $1.20 co-pay, she could get the end of life drugs.
“They won’t pay for me to spend time with my kids,” Packer said.  “But for a buck, I can kill myself.”

“Assisted suicide not right for Maine”
(Sun Journal — April 2,  2017)
“I find it rather disturbing that a minor with marijuana, in a state where it is legal, would face a larger fine than any medical doctor under the proposed law.”

“Maine gov orders state to back mom in legal battle over baby’s DNR order”
(Fox News — September 5, 2014)
Maine Gov. Paul LePage reversed state bureaucrats and vowed to defy a state Supreme Court ruling if necessary to back a teen mom seeking to lift a “Do Not Resuscitate” order from her one-year-old baby, who was allegedly shaken into a coma but miraculously recovered.