Evanston Council To Debate Assisted Suicide

CHICAGO (CBS)-- Elected leaders in Evanston will debate the issue of assisted suicide for people who are terminally ill on Monday.

The city council will discuss whether or not a mentally competent person, with less than six months to live, can be prescribed medication to end their life.

If Evanston passes a resolution, it would be sent to Illinois lawmakers -- pushing them to write and pass what other states call "Death with Dignity Laws."

So-called medical aid in dying procedures are already allowed in nine states including Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Colorado, New Jersey, Vermont and Maine.

The last time Illinois considered anything like this was 1997.

Do you support death with dignity? CBS 2 asked and got quite the response on Facebook.

Most people commented they do agree, a few disagreed for religious reasons.

Others said they support it as long as it was the person's choice and not a way for doctors or insurance companies to make money.