LePage Clarifies Assisted Suicide Stance, Says Still Against

PORTLAND, Maine - Maine Gov. Paul LePage clarified his stance on assisted suicide during a radio appearance in which he said he's still against a measure to make the practice legal in the state.
 
LePage, a Republican, said earlier this week that he would veto a bill moving through the Legislature that would allow doctors to help terminally ill patients hasten their own deaths. He said on WGAN-AM on Thursday that the reason he opposes the proposal is because he doesn't think it's a "government issue.''
 
LePage says such a discussion should be between a doctor and patient and the government shouldn't be involved.
 
The Maine proposal would enable physicians to legally prescribe life-ending medications to certain terminally ill patients. Right now, doctors cannot legally do that. A similar proposal failed in 2015.