In 2002, the Hawaii Legislature fell three votes shy of passing a bill to allow terminally ill, competent adults to obtain a prescription medication to end their lives.
Donna Mercado Kim and J. Kalani English were among the 14 senators opposed. They now support a similar measure, House Bill 2739, that is expected to be voted on by the Senate on Thursday. If it passes, as expected, Gov. David Ige said he will sign it into law.
Views change over time, shaped by personal experiences, public opinion, conversations with constituents and stronger legislation, according to interviews with lawmakers and others who have been tracking the issue for years.
“I think more and more people are coming to terms with it,” Kim said Wednesday. “As the population ages, they’ve been caregiving for their parents and relatives and just seeing all the technology to keep people alive, unlike before, and see people suffering.”
Sen. Will Espero also voted against the bill 16 years ago. At the time, he was a member of the House, which passed it 30-20. Now, he supports medical aid in dying.
The only person still in the Legislature whose views have not changed to support doctor aid in dying since the 2002 bill is Rep. Bob McDermott, a conservative Republican in the Democrat-dominated Legislature.
For Kim, it was the additional safeguards that won her over.
Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat
