She fought to change how terminally ill Illinois residents could die—and lived just long enough to see the option become law. The AP profiles 68-year-old Deb Robertson, a former homeless-youth counselor with an aggressive cancer who became the public face of the campaign for her namesake "Deb's law," which lets eligible patients request a prescription to hasten death. On Sept. 12, she celebrated at home near Chicago as Illinois joined New York and 11 other states, plus Washington, DC, in allowing medical aid in dying—now accessible to nearly a third of Americans. "I believe that God gave me this extra time so that I could see this law through," says Robertson. "I believe that people have the right to leave this Earth with dignity and on their own terms."
The AP's piece lays out how the practice is expanding and why it's so polarizing. Disability advocates, Catholic leaders, and Pope Leo XIV argue the law endangers vulnerable people and violates religious teaching; a lawsuit challenging it is moving through the courts. Supporters, including doctors and advocacy groups, counter that decades of experience in states like Oregon and Washington show strong safeguards and give patients peace of mind, whether or not they ever use the drugs. WBEZ outlines the nuts and bolts of the law, including the safeguards and protocols included. For a closer look at the people, theology, and legal battles shaping this debate, read the full AP article.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
