West Virginia to Vote on Landmark Constitutional Amendment Outlawing Medically Assisted Suicide in November 2024 Election

WV News Report 

West Virginia citizens will soon have a say on a constitutional change. 

This change aims to ban "medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing." This is the first time a US state has considered a constitutional ban on this medical practice. It is often called assisted suicide or aid-in-dying. Amendment 1 is related to this ban. Citizens will vote on it on November 5, 2024.

The West Virginia State Legislature suggested this amendment. It was first known as the House Joint Resolution 28 (HJR 28). On February 15, the House approved HJR 28 with an 88-9 vote. The Senate agreed with a 28-4 vote on March 9. The Senate changed the resolution a little. So, the House had to agree with these changes. The House agreed with an 88-10 vote on March 9. This amendment will now be on the ballot.

Danielle Pimentel is a Policy Counsel at Americans United for Life. She is hopeful about this resolution. She believes it could help protect the elderly and disabled. Del. Joey Garcia of the House disagrees. He thinks the amendment is not needed. He believes that even if you agree with a policy, it doesn't mean it should be in the constitution.

As of March 2024, ten states and Washington D.C. have made the medically assisted death process legal. These states are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Three of these states - Colorado, Oregon, and Washington - approved it through voting measures.