The committee worked late into the evening so it could complete its work on the bill before the Legislature breaks for a week for Town Meeting Day. Committee leaders reasoned lawmakers could use their appearances at town meetings to hear constituents' views on the proposal.

The bill would permit someone with a terminal diagnosis and a prognosis of six months or less to live to request a prescription that would end his or her life. A number of steps that supporters said would be safeguards were included in the bill to ensure that someone was not pressured to take advantage of the option.

But there were no safeguards that could adequately satisfy some opponents.

Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, said society now states unequivocally through laws and societal norms that every life is valuable. "Do we want to make that message conditional based on circumstances?" she asked. "There's so much more that we could be doing." She mentioned strengthening the state's hospice and palliative care as possible examples.

Another opponent of the bill suggested that a proposal as significant as death with dignity deserved to be decided not just by legislators, but also by the people.

Rep. Norman McAllister, R-Highgate, proposed that the law not go into effect unless voters approved it at the general election in 2008. He said the voters' views should be taken into account "on something that has this much implication on society."

"I don't know what we would be afraid of having a vote of the people," added Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington.

But the majority of the committee said legislators were elected to make even such difficult life-and-death decisions.

"The ultimate comes in November and I'm satisfied with that," said Rep. Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln, referring to legislative elections.

Even with the Human Services Committee's approval of the bill it still has a long way to go. The Judiciary Committee must consider it, too, and it must go through the Senate. And Gov. Jim Douglas made clear again Thursday that he doesn't support it and doesn't expect to change his mind.

"I feel very strongly," he said.