Death Prevention Task Force

Meet Coroner Jamie Harwood, MSN, RN

Jamie Harwood proudly serves as the Peoria County Coroner, combining over two decades of nursing experience, forensic expertise, and community-centered leadership in one of the most trusted and compassionate roles in county government.

A lifelong resident of central Illinois, Jamie began his career in healthcare after graduating from the Methodist School of Nursing in 1997. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Penn State University in 2015, graduating with honors. Most recently, Jamie earned his Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Administrative Leadership from Penn State in 2024, again graduating with honors.

Disability Advocates, Including Amber Smock, Raise Concerns Over Bill Allowing Terminally Ill Adults to End Their Lives

Amber Smock

Bridgette Adu-Wadier | November 10, 2025

Terminally ill people in Illinois may soon be able to end their lives with medical assistance.

State lawmakers recently passed a controversial medical-aid-in-dying bill [assisted suicide and/or euthanasia], which now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk.

Supporters of the measure say it gives those who are already dying a compassionate way to go.

Khadine Bennet, the director of advocacy and intergovernmental affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said many terminally ill people have exhausted many other options and want the option to go peacefully.

“A lot of the things we’ve heard from folks is that fear of, at the end of their life, still being in so much pain,” Bennet said. “They want to know that there is an option that’s available to them that is safe.”

But opponents say the measure would worsen longstanding health care disparities — particularly for individuals with disabilities and people who live below the poverty line.

Illinois Aid in Dying

State Senator Jill Tracy sees gaping loopholes and clear safety risks with the proposed legislation.

“There are safety concerns of allowing somebody to take a pill home that has a very lethal dose of morphine and other drugs that will kill you, put in the refrigerator, and the state never checks on it. ...

The ACLU of Illinois said the bill is about self-determination and compassion for people who have a disease or condition that cannot be cured and are expected to die as a result.

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide on Its Way to the Governor

Dear Advocates, 

In a surprise move in the early hours of Friday morning, the Illinois State Senate quietly took up and passed a bill to legalize assisted suicide, by a one vote margin. SB 1950 came up on the floor after 2 am during a veto session, with Senators voting 30-27 (with two not voting). The House passed SB 1950 in the spring, so the bill now goes to Governor JB Pritzker (pictured here). 

You  may recall that the House vote came after proponents gutted an unrelated food safety bill, which had previously passed the Senate, and replaced the language with the assisted suicide legislation. 

Diligent dedicated work was put in for years to defeat the bill by a very strong and large coalition of Illinois organizations and individuals. Focus now turns to convince the Governor that he must veto this dangerous bill which will put vulnerable Illinoisians at risk.  Our work doesn't end here, and all our voices will be needed to prevent further movement. When these bills do pass, they are by the slimmest of margins; if you haven't been involved before, now is the time.  

4 Family Members of Illinois Governor Candidate killed in Montana Helicopter Crash, Campaign Says

Four family members of a Republican running for governor in Illinois were killed in a Montana helicopter crash, his campaign said Thursday.

The son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren of former state lawmaker Darren Bailey, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election in Illinois and is seeking his party’s nomination again in next year’s race, were killed in the crash Wednesday. Bailey previously served in both the Illinois House and Senate.

Bailey’s son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash in a remote area of eastern Montana, his campaign said in a statement. The couple’s third child was not on the helicopter.

“Darren and Cindy are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. They are finding comfort in their faith, their family, and the prayers of so many who love and care for them,” the statement said.

US Supreme Court Sets Argument Regarding Post–Election Ballot Counting

Judicial Watch announced today that the Supreme Court of the United States has scheduled oral argument for October 8, 2025, in its lawsuit filed on behalf of Congressman Mike Bost and two presidential electors, who are before the court to vindicate their standing to challenge an Illinois law extending Election Day for 14 days beyond the date established by federal law.

On July 22 Judicial Watch announced that it filed its opening brief to the Supreme Court in this case (Rep.Michael J. Bost, Laura Pollastrini, and Susan Sweeney v. The Illinois State Board of Elections and Bernadette Matthews (No. 1:22-cv-02754, 23-2644, 24-568).

Assisted Suicide Bill Stalls in Illinois Legislature

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/264515/assisted-suicide-bill-stalls-in-illinois-legislature-amid-catholic-opposition

By Kate Quiñones, Credit: E Fehrenbacher/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jun 3, 2025 / 16:20 pm

A bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Illinois was not called for a vote in the Senate before the Legislature adjourned on June 1, effectively halting its progress for the session amid ardent opposition from leading Catholic voices in the state.

The bill, which passed in the House at the end of May, would have made it legal for physicians to give “qualified” terminally ill patients life-ending drugs. As the bill failed to move through the General Assembly, physican-asisted suicide remains criminal in Illinois.

Physician-assisted suicide, called medical aid in dying or “MAID” by proponents, is legal in 10 states as well as the nation’s capital. Oregon was the first to legalize the practice in 1994, though an injunction delayed its implementation until 1997.

Under the proposed Illinois legislation, death certificates would show the terminal illness as the cause of death, not suicide....

Doctors, Disability Activists Split on Support for Controversial Procedure

byAndrew Adams

 

 

CHICAGO — Lawmakers are considering legalizing a controversial medical practice that proponents say could ease suffering for the terminally ill.

[Formerly known as physician-assisted suicide and/or euthanasia]

It’s sometimes called “assisted suicide,” although physicians and advocates for the practice prefer the term “medical aid in dying,” or MAID.

While Compassion & Choices — a group that advocates for medical aid in dying policies — found a majority of Illinois voters supported legalizing MAID in a 2023 poll, some critics call the process “barbaric.”