Last month, KIE Senior Research Scholar John Keown submitted a memorandum to Washington, D.C. Councilmembers on the issue of physician-assisted suicide before their recent vote on whether to permit it or not. The debate leading up to the vote delved into profound moral issues at the intersection of race, age, and religion.

After the Committee on Health and Human Services approved Councilmember Mary Cheh’s Oregon-style Death with Dignity bill, the full Council voted on Tuesday, October 18. The group overwhelmingly voted for a bill that would allow terminally ill people a medically assisted death, making Washington, D.C. the sixth jurisdiction nationwide to approve what opponents often call “physician-assisted suicide.” The bill would legalize it for those who have six months or less to live, who do not suffer from depression, and who request the option several times.

The D.C. council is expected to take a final vote on the measure during the next few weeks. Mayor Muriel Bowser has said she expects it to become law. Share your story and follow progress of the bill here.