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An Emotional Week For Colorado's End-Of-Life Options Bill

Jim Hill
/
KUNC

State lawmakers are debating whether terminally ill patients with less than six months to live should be allowed to take medication to end their own lives. It's just one of several controversial bills being debated under the gold dome.

Capitol Conversation with Bente Birkeland

Highlights From Capitol Conversation

On The End-Of-Life Options Bill

Megan Schrader, Colorado Springs Gazette: "People on both sides coming into tell stories of loved ones who died excruciating deaths and would have enjoyed having an option to end their own life. And people who work in hospice who say, 'look, I see this every day and I don't think physicians should be able to prescribe life ending medication.'"

On A Yet To Be Introduced Proposal Providing More Driver's License Offices To Allow Undocumented Immigrants To Obtain A License

Peter Marcus, Durango Herald: "The idea behind the legislation which passed in 2013 is to provide undocumented immigrants with driver's licenses because they're on the roads any way, and they need to learn the rules of the road and have insurance and all that. For proponents it's a safety issue."

Copyright 2016 KUNC

Bente Birkeland has covered Colorado politics and government since spring of 2006. She loves the variety and challenge of the state capitol beat and talking to people from all walks of life. Bente's work has aired on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, American PublicMedia'sMarketplace, and she was a contributor for WNYC's The Next Big Thing. She has won numerous local and national awards, including best beat reporting from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. Bente grew up in Minnesota and England, and loves skiing, hiking, and is an aspiring cello player. She lives in Lakewood with her husband.
Bente Birkeland
Bente Birkeland has been reporting on state legislative issues for KUNC and Rocky Mountain Community Radio since 2006. Originally, from Minnesota, Bente likes to hike and ski in her spare time. She keeps track of state politics throughout the year but is especially busy during the annual legislative session from January through early May.