The North Dakota House has rejected a bill that would allow physician assisted suicide for people who suffer from a terminal illness.
Several states have passed similar bills.
"Life bis sacred from conception to natural death," said Rep. Karen Rohr (R-Mandan). "Dying patients should receive loving care, including psychological care, spiritual care and appropriate remedies for pain and other symptoms, so that they can live life with dignity until the time of natural death."
The bill’s sponsor – Rep. Pamela Anderson (D-Fargo) – argued that it should be a choice by someone diagnosed with a terminal illness.
"This bill is a basic idea, that terminally ill people, not government, politicians or their ideology, or religious leaders and their dogma should make end-of-life decisions, and determine how much pain and suffering they should have to endure."
The measure failed on an 85 to 9 vote.