East Central Reporter

Adam Niemerg, representative for Illinois House District 102, expressed strong opposition to a physician-assisted suicide bill passed by Democrats in the state House. He argued that the state should prioritize protecting life at all stages rather than facilitating its end.

"Tonight the Democrats passed physician assisted suicide further devaluing life in Illinois," said Adam M. Niemerg, State Representative for 102nd District (R). "Let's be clear: assisted suicide isn't about dignity, it's about despair. We should be honoring and protecting life at every stage not destroying it."

The End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, also known as Deb’s Law, would permit eligible terminally ill patients to request physician-prescribed aid-in-dying medication to peacefully end their lives. If enacted, the law would take effect nine months after its passage. The act was introduced as a House amendment to Senate Bill 1950, which initially addressed food preparation safety.

Screenshot of State Representative Adam Niemerg's May 29 post on X | X

Niemerg shared a video of his speech on X, where he voiced his firm opposition to the bill. "It tells the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the vulnerable that their lives are no longer worth living," he said during his speech on the House floor. "That when they face this despair, the best we can offer is a prescription for death. That is not compassion. That is abandonment." He further said that in regions where physician-assisted suicide is legal, patients are often denied lifesaving treatment and instead offered lethal drugs.

According to The Center Square, Rep. Robyn Gabel of Evanston introduced the amendment to Senate Bill 1950. Gabel defended the measure during a House Executive Committee hearing by stating that "medical aid in dying is a trusted, time-tested medical practice that is part of the spectrum of end-of-life care options." She noted that eleven other states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical aid in dying.

Niemerg has been serving in the Illinois General Assembly since January 2021 and resides in Dieterich with his family. When not attending sessions in Springfield, he works as a senior claims adjuster with Country Financial and is an active member of the Farm Bureau.