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.
By Margaret Dore
In another life, I talked three young men down from suicide.
What I think happened is that a final exit network type person had given them my phone number by mistake. This was before the age of caller ID.
I was contacted by each of the three young men over a period of time, each one wanting assistance to kill himself.
By Diane Coleman [pictured here]
Three days ago, Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy at Access Living, was quoted extensively in a Chicago Tribune article about Illinois’ assisted suicide bill. Today, the editorial board of the Tribune took a position opposed to the bill.
The March 5th article, “Should Illinois become a ‘right-to-die’ state? Lawmakers consider end-of-life option for terminally ill adults,” covered both sides. Here is the segment giving Access Living’s perspective as a disability rights organization:
Yet some disability rights advocates warn that the measure could put vulnerable populations at risk, including seniors, disabled folks and people with mental health issues.
By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
Roger Hanshaw [photo at right] who is the Speaker of the House in West Virginia has sponsored House Joint Resolution (HJR 28) to add protection from assisted suicide in the state Bill of Rights. HRJ 28 states the following:
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia amending Article III thereof by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-three, relating to the protection from medically-assisted suicide or euthanasia in West Virginia; numbering and designating such proposed amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.
Alex Schadenberg,
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Indiana Resolution 17 titled: A Concurrent Resolution opposing and condemning assisted suicide passed on Wednesday February 29 [2024] passed on the Indiana Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services by a vote of 9 to 2. The following is the wording of the resolution:
Whereas, The State of Indiana has an unqualified interest in the preservation of human life and the State's prohibition on assisting suicide in IC 35-42-1-2.5 both reflects and advances its commitment to the State's interest;
In the meantime, the following bills are now declared dead for 2024 and will NOT carry over to the new year.