Washington State

Washington State transforms the crime of assisted suicide into a "medical treatment."

In 1991, by a vote of 54 to 46 percent, Washington State voters defeated Initiative 119, a measure that would have permitted doctors to provide euthanasia by lethal injection or assisted suicide by a prescription for an intentional lethal overdose of drugs.

After that, three attempts were made in the Washington State legislature to transform assisted suicide, which was a crime in Washington, into a "medical treatment." All three attempts failed.

In 2008, assisted-suicide proponents targeted the state for a massive effort to make Washington only the second state to approve assisted suicide. With a voter initiative (I-1000)on the 2008 ballot, they succeeded, by a vote of 57.91 to 42.09 percent, in making it legal for doctors to help their patients commit suicide. The Washington initiative, patterned on Oregon's assisted-suicide law, was spearheaded by Compassion and Choices (the former Hemlock Society).

Text of ballot initiative.

Analysis of Initiative 1000, Washington's assisted-suicide initiative.

Ads against Initiative 1000 feature actor Martin Sheen.

Funding Watch: Assisted-suicide advocacy groups provide major funding for I 1000.

Audio - Rita Marker on I-1000 (The New Atlantis 10/22/08)

Washington Not Dead Yet blog

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)

Debate about I-1000 (video)
Debate, sponsored by the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs, features Duane French and Booth Gardner.

Articles

"Washington State Voters Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide" (NWV, 11/24/08)
"We're tired of being the sprouts-chewing liberals out in Oregon...We need another state."

"I-1000 could remove personal choice," writes former Washington Governor John Spellman.
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 21, 2008)

"An Open Letter to Baroness Warnock on Assisted Suicide" (American Thinker; Oct. 4, 2008)
When she said people with Alzheimer's should be able to appoint someone to request euthanasia for them, Britain's leading medical ethicist, Baroness Mary Warnock, caused a firestorm of controversy. A similar, but little known, proposal was made by those in the forefront of Oregon's assisted-suicide law and the current Washington State initiative to legalize assisted suicide.

"Oregon's Suicidal Approach to Health Care" (American Thinker; Sept. 14, 2008)
Oregon seems to have found a surefire way to lower health care costs: Tell the patient you'll pay for drugs that will end her life, but not those that would extend her life." Now, Oregon assisted-suicide activists are trying to bring the Oregon experience to Washington.

"Proposal is reckless, unnecessary" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/25/08)
In the past, Rheba De Tornyay, dean and professor emeritus of the University Washington School of Nursing, "robustly supported" assisted suicide and euthanasia. Now she opposes Washington's assisted-suicide initiative because "a profit-preoccupied medical establishment, combined with emotionally and financially stressed families, would press them to accept death, regardless of the heralded safeguards laws would contain."

"The indignity of I-1000: Backers' claims misleading" (Seattle Times, 8/20/08)
"Up until two months ago, I had no strong opinion on the proposed Death with Dignity Act, which is on the ballot as Initiative 1000. That was, until I read its actual language."

"Booth Gardner: Tribute or fundraiser?" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/20/08)
A September "Dinner of Appreciation" for former Governor Booth Gardner, with tickets starting at $20,000, may be a thinly veiled fundraiser for Washington's assisted-suicide initiative.

"Letter noting assisted suicide raises questions" (KATU TV; Portland, OR; July 31, 2008)
Interview with Barbara Wagner who was denied chemotherapy, but offered assisted suicide, by the Oregon Health Plan. Includes link to video interview.
More on assisted suicide in Oregon.

"Assisted suicide gets push from out of state"
Portland Oregon based Death with Dignity National Center's annual report tells the tale of its behind the scenes manipulation of Washington State's assisted-suicide initiative.
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 7/28/08)

"'Assisted suicide' describes initiative correctly"
Washington state supporters of I-1000 complained that the measure should not be described as an assisted-suicide proposal. However, the Associated Press and newspapers will continue to refer to it as "assisted suicide."
According The Olympian's executive editor, "the phrase [assisted suicide] is a simple, accurate description of the proposal. We recognize there are negative connotations attached to the word suicide, but its definition is clear - the act of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally."
(The Olympian, 7/15/08)

"A matter of life and death for state's voters" (Seattle PI, 5/27/08)
Kathryn Tucker, an advocate of the Oregon law described those in the assisted-suicide movement as people of "affluence" and "high education."

"Oregon's Trojan Horse"
"If other states refused to pass laws patterned on Oregon's current, seemingly restrictive law, it was a sure bet that they'd be even less inclined to follow Oregon's lead if it were to be expanded."

"Suicide as a Medical Treatment"
Assisted-suicide campaign spokesperson admits it's only intended to be the "first step."

"I-1000 campaign seeks to sell voters on death" (Seattle P-I, 3/30/08)
"If you are campaigning for the 'right' of people to kill themselves, the first challenge is finding a nonlethal definition: Soft reassuring terms must be substituted for the off-putting phrase 'assisted suicide.'"

"Gardner crusade is a selfish last act" (Seattle P-I, 1/11/08)
Why Booth Gardner's "last campaign is harmful to the sick, the disabled, the vulnerable...and society.

"Unlike father, unlike son" The Gardners are split on 'death with dignity" (Crosscut, 1/11/08)

"Just don't call it suicide, initiative's backers say" (Seattle Times, 1/9/08)
Assisted-suicide activists want to avoid the word "suicide" when discussing their proposal.

"Former Gov. Gardner becomes assisted suicide's advocate" (Herald, Everett, WA, 1/6/08)
Filing of the assisted-suicide measure is expected to take place on Wednesday, January 9. Supporters set up a campaign committee last year and had raised $253,000 by Dec. 1.

"Death in the Family" by Daniel Bergner (The New York Times Magazine, 12/2/07)
"Booth Gardner, a former governor of Washington State who has Parkinson's, is urgently lobbying for a doctor-assisted-suicide law." "Gardner's campaign is a compromise; he sees it as a first step. If he can sway Washington to embrace a restrictive law, then other states will follow. And gradually, he says, the nation's resistance will subside, the culture will shift and laws with more latitude will be passed..."

"Physician-assisted suicide symptom of broken system
(The Olympian, Olympia, Washington, 9/28/07)
Washington State disability rights activist Joelle Brouner explains why Washington is no place for Oregon-style assisted suicide. "Is it so great a leap to think that a system with a record of perpetuating bias could abuse its power to promote death as a management strategy to achieve cost savings?"

"Ex-governor seeking death with dignity" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/18/07)
Ex-governor Booth Gardner pledges to fight to legalize assisted-suicide.

"Gardner: I've thought about the end" (Seattle Times, 2/10/06)
Former governor wants to legalize assisted suicide but doesn't want the word "suicide" used to describe it.