Board member, Ann Rowland and I took a trip to the Ohio Statehouse in January, the first month of the new 133rd General Assembly session. We wanted to thank Senate Minority Leader, Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) for co-sponsoring SB 249, the Ohio Aid in Dying legislation that was introduced in the previous assembly. Since the bill’s main sponsor, Senator Tavares, was term-limited, the legislation will need to be reintroduced in order to move forward.
I will work alongside Ohio End of Life Options volunteers to maintain a presence in the statehouse in order to talk with legislators, give them the facts and figures about Death with Dignity laws in other states and talk about why it will be good policy for empowering the terminally ill in Ohio.
We also shared our stories about why this is personal for us. We encourage you to share your stories with Senator Yuko and your own legislators. They need to know that you support this legislation and why it matters to you.
Ohio Survey Results
Medical aid-in-dying is not a partisan issue, it’s a human issue. In our 2018 survey an overwhelming majority (77%) agreed with the following statement: I have the freedom to control my life choices, including my end of life choices. Ohioans also strongly supported SB 249:
Send Minority Leader Yuko an email or a letter or give his office a call.
- Email: Yuko@OhioSenate.gov
- Phone: 614.466.4583
- Mail: 1 Capitol Square Room 303, Columbus, OH 43215
You can also go to the Take Action tab on our website, OhioOptions.org, to find out who your legislators are as well as their contact information. Also, as a member of Death with Dignity National Center’s Dignity50 program, there is a link that lets you send an email to your Ohio legislators on its website.
Thank you for your support,
Lisa Vigil Schattinger, MSN, RN
Founder and Executive Director
Ohio End of Life Options