Warning: Legislation is Ripe for Abuse, Coercion & May Promote Suicide Contagion

Bob Gilligan, Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, testified against SB 9 - a bill to legalize assisted-suicide.

In his prepared remarks before the Illinois Senate Committee, Mr. Gillian points out:

"We have now, data from Oregon and from other states and other countries. And the three harms that I would point to the societal harms... a suicide contagion, the potential for coercion and abuse that I'd like to talk a little bit about. And the way medical care is changing in our state where insurance companies have figured out that sometimes, unfortunately, it might be less expensive to provide the prescription pills to end your life than it is to treat you. Those are the three main societal harms we see with Senate Bill 9."