Legislation allowing doctor-assisted suicide narrowly clears Delaware House, heads to state Senate

A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware has narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House and now goes to the state Senate for consideration. The bill is the latest iteration of legislation that has been repeatedly introduced since 2015, and it is the only proposal to make it to a floor vote. Lawmakers voted 21 to 16 on Thursday for the measure, which needed at least 21 affirmative votes for passage. Currently, 10 states, along with the District of Columbia, have laws legalizing medically assisted suicide. Several Republican lawmakers expressed ethical concerns about the Delaware legislation. They also questioned the need for it, given advances in hospice and palliative care in recent years.