‘Freedom and choice at the end of life:’ Pritzker signs controversial Medical Aid in Dying bill

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Medical Aid in Dying bill Friday, allowing terminally ill adults in Illinois to end their lives with medication prescribed by a physician.

The controversial law would go into effect in September 2026, which gives health providers and state regulators time to implement “stringent processes and protections,” officials said.

“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said Friday in a statement.

The measure gives terminally ill individuals of sound mental state, with a six months or less prognosis, the option to end their lives with a lethal dose of medication prescribed by a doctor.

Illinois now becomes the 12th state to enact such legislation. Named “Deb’s Law,” it honors Deb Robertson, a Lombard resident with neuroendocrine cancer who advocated for the bill.

“If you don't believe in it, that's OK, but allow me to have that option available to me, the terminally ill dying person,” Robertson said in November.

“Myself and others who are terminally ill and fighting to stay alive need to have this other option in addition to palliative care and hospice,” she added.

“This allows me and other people to have a peaceful end of life.”

Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, however, said the “bill goes too far without the protections Illinois families deserve.”

“Coroners, who will be responsible for determining causes of death, were never brought into the conversation,” McCombie added. “Stakeholders raised red flags that were brushed aside. Those gaps pose real and dangerous consequences.”

Meanwhile, Illinois Right to Life leaders promised legal action. “Defending life requires perseverance, courage and a willingness to fight on every front,” President Mary Kate Zander contended.

Pritzker took weeks to make the decision and said he listened to advocates on both sides of the issue.

“This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy and empathy.”

‘It’s a personal choice’

Robertson was on her seventh different treatment when the Daily Herald spoke with her last month.

“I'm getting sicker, I have to accept that, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up,” the former social worker said.

The legislation gives her and other terminally ill patients the opportunity to “relax” because they have options. Those include being able to say goodbye to loved ones on their own terms, Robertson explained.

“It doesn't mean they'll use it or want to use it, but it's there … it's a personal choice.”

Religious and disability advocates also weighed in.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois said Friday the move put Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path — one that legitimizes suicide as a valid solution for life’s challenges.”

Access Living of Chicago announced Friday “we are extremely disappointed and troubled by this outcome.” The group has argued that legalization “will place our community at the risk of the subtle but dangerous pressure to end our lives rather than get the care we need.”

Dr. Cynthia Chatterjee, an Illinois State Medical Society member who testified at state hearings, said with proper safeguards terminally ill patients who meet the requirements can experience “an easy, comfortable death.”

How the process works

• Patients must have an in-person examination by a physician to determine if they have an illness that will cause death within six months and be advised of options such as hospice and pain control. Two doctors must concur.

• Patients also need a mental health evaluation by a doctor.

• Patients must make several oral and written requests to receive the medication and be able to administer it.

• Doctors can refuse to provide medical aid in dying. They cannot be found civilly or criminally liable or face professional discipline for prescribing or refusing to prescribe the medication.

• Daily Herald correspondent Alicia Fabbre contributed to this report.