Assisted suicide issue hits Legislature

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HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Lawmakers are being asked to either make rules for physician-assisted suicide in the wake of a high court ruling opening the door for the procedure, or to ban it altogether.

Supporters of physician-assisted suicide told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that the government has no right telling people that they can't end their own life when they are in the grips of a terminal disease.

Opponents say doctors have no place helping someone end their life, and argue the procedure could be misused.

The Dec. 31, 2009, Supreme Court ruling in the case Baxter v. Montana effectively made Montana the third state to allow physician-assisted suicide, along with Oregon and Washington. But there are no rules, procedures or ability to track how often doctors are prescribing the death-inducing drugs.

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