Judge Weighing Arguments to Halt Illinois’ ‘Medical Aid in Dying’ Law
The lawsuit says the law discriminates against people with disabilities and violates federal disability and health law, advocates told the judge.
- U.S. District Judge John Tharp is weighing whether to block the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act before its September 12 effective date after hearing arguments Friday in a lawsuit alleging the law discriminates against people with disabilities.
- Illinois lawmakers passed EOLA last year, which allows terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to request lethal medication—a practice proponents call "medical aid in dying" and opponents label "assisted suicide."
- Thomas Geoghegan, representing disability rights groups, argued the law violates the Hippocratic oath to "first do no harm," while state attorney Elizabeth Morris countered that existing malpractice laws require doctors to be "responsible to the state."
- Tharp must issue a decision on the preliminary injunction before Saturday; separately, a temporary restraining order already exempts religiously affiliated healthcare providers from the law until appellate courts rule.
- If implemented, Illinois would become the first Midwestern state to authorize medical aid in dying; the statute, also called "Deb's Law," requires patients to pass mental evaluations and confirm prognoses with two independent physicians.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Illinois Assisted Suicide Law Takes Effect Saturday, Deaths Won’t be Recorded as Suicides
Barring a preliminary injunction, Illinois’ physician-assisted suicide law will take effect on Saturday, September 12th, placing patients facing terminal illness and the end of life at great risk of exploitation and tainting important public health data by misrepresenting suicides as other causes of death. Under the new law, eligible adults diagnosed with a terminal disease that […]
Capitol News Illinois | Judge weighing arguments to halt Illinois’ ‘medical aid in dying’ law ahead of Saturday start
Barring an 11th-hour legal twist, Illinois is set to become the first Midwestern state to allow terminally ill adults to take life-ending medication prescribed by physicians when the law goes into effect late this week.
Judge Weighing Arguments to Halt Illinois’ ‘Medical Aid in Dying’ Law Ahead of Sept. 12 Start
<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Judge Weighing Arguments to Halt Illinois’ ‘Medical Aid in Dying’ Law Ahead of Sept. 12 Start</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Hannah Meisel …</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-09-08T14:43:00-05:00" title="Tuesday, September 8…
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