A bill that would allow doctors to help terminally ill patients end their lives failed to earn majority support from lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday and now faces an uphill battle in the full Legislature.
Gov. Paul LePage said this week that he would veto the bill, which means it would need support from two-thirds of lawmakers, rather than a simple majority.
But the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, said after Wednesday’s committee vote that he plans to keep making his case to lawmakers and to the governor, as well.
“There are plenty of examples of bills that come out of a committee with a recommendation of ought not to pass that ending up passing,” he said. “This is something that people will have to make a personal decision on.”