Illinois State Representative Dr. Bill Hauter, a Republican from Morton and a practicing physician, joined Dan Proft on Chicago’s Morning Answer to denounce the General Assembly’s late-night passage of a bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Illinois. The legislation, passed during the fall veto session, now heads to Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is expected to sign it into law.
Dr. Hauter, who continues to practice medicine alongside his legislative duties, called the measure “a tragic victory for a culture of death,” arguing that it represents a fundamental betrayal of the medical profession’s core principle: do no harm. “Physicians are partners in caring for patients, not participants in ending life,” he said, noting that both the Illinois State Medical Society and the American Medical Association continue to oppose physician-assisted suicide on ethical grounds.
Hauter warned that the bill, which supporters describe as “medical aid in dying,” is only the beginning of a broader push that could mirror the slippery slope seen in Canada and Western Europe. In those countries, assisted suicide laws initially limited to terminally ill adults have expanded to include minors and individuals with psychological conditions. “They always start with extreme cases—just as they did with abortion or medical marijuana—and then expand it,” Hauter said. “We know exactly where this leads.”
He expressed concern that the policy could eventually pressure elderly, disabled, or chronically ill patients to view suicide as an obligation rather than a choice, particularly when cost-cutting incentives enter the picture. “The cheapest care is no care,” Hauter said. “Once insurers and government agencies see how much money can be saved, people will be coerced into thinking they’re a burden.”
Hauter also criticized the legislative process, noting that the bill was introduced and passed at 2 a.m. with little debate or public awareness. “It’s an insult to the medical community, the faith community, and the disability advocates who passionately opposed it,” he said. “Something this consequential deserves transparency and deliberation—not a midnight vote.”
Wesley Smith of the Discovery Institute, a longtime critic of assisted suicide, recently wrote that such laws amount to “a vote of no confidence in the medical profession’s ability to care for people with serious illnesses.” Hauter echoed that sentiment, calling the legislation “a symptom of a deeper moral crisis” and “proof that Illinois has lost its commitment to the sanctity of life.”
Governor Pritzker is expected to sign the bill in the coming weeks, making Illinois one of several states—including New York, Oregon, and Vermont—where physician-assisted suicide is now legal.