Washington Initiative 1000

Initiative 1000 (I-1000) is a ballot measure dealing with aid in dying that will be on the ballot in the US state of Washington in the November 4 2008 general election. The effort was started by former Governor Booth Gardner. Supporters of I-1000 submitted about 310,000 petition signatures from registered voters, surpassing the state's requirement of 225,000 valid signatures for ballot status. [cite news
title=Assisted suicide initiative likely to make ballot
date=July 2 2008
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008018780_apwaassistedsuicide.html
work=The Seattle Times]
Secretary of State Sam Reed certified the initiative July 25 2008 after confirming at least 224,880 signatures to be valid. [cite news
title=Death with Dignity initiative on ballot
date=July 25 2008
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008072072_dige25m.html
work=The Seattle Times]

In 1991, the similar Initiative 119 was rejected by Washington voters by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent. I-119 would have allowed doctors to prescribe a lethal dosage of medication, and also to administer it if the terminally ill patient could not self-administer. [cite news
title=Right-to-die initiative making its way to state ballot
date=July 14 2008
url=http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/NEWS03/971512377
work=The Wenatchee World] Unlike that initiative, I-1000 requires the patient to ingest the medication unassisted. [cite news
title=Initiative 1000 would let patients get help ending their lives
date=September 21 2008
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008193092_death21m.html
work=The Seattle Times]

The initiative is based on Oregon Measure 16, which Oregon voters passed in 1994. Oregon is the only state to have enacted similar legislation. [cite web |url=http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/ |title=State of Oregon web site: Death with Dignity Act] and overwhelmingly re-approved after a U.S. Supreme Court challenge in 1997.

I-1000 has been endorsed by the "Seattle Times", [cite news
title=Judging the dying: Oregon's experience
date=January 10 2008
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004116199_deaded10.html
work=The Seattle Times] the Everett "Herald", [cite news
title=Dignity should still be in reach at life's end
date=January 25 2008
url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080125/OPINION01/218682775&SearchID=73307743978742
work=The Everett Herald] the "Olympian", [cite news
title=Vote to give people choice in their death
date=September 12 2008
url=http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/582539.html
work=The Olympian] the "Issaquah Press", [cite news
title=Press Editorial: Death with Dignity initiative promotes humane choice
date=July 16 2008
url=http://www.deathwithdignity.org/media/uploads/IssaquahPressEndorsementJuly2008.pdf
work=The Issaquah Press] the "Tri-City Herald", [cite news
title=Initiative 1000, Death with Dignity: Yes
date=September 28 2008
url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/330679.html
work=The Tri-City Herald] and the Lewiston, Idaho "Tribune". [cite news
title=Shouldn't it be "your" choice? Yes on I-1000
date=July 20 2008
url=http://www.deathwithdignity.org/media/uploads/LewistonTribEd.pdf
work=The Lewiston Tribune] The Portland "Oregonian" initially endorsed it in January, [cite news
title=Booth Gardner's final campaign
date=January 13 2008
page=E4
url=http://www.oregonlive.com/editorials/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1200102930113270.xml&coll=7
work=The Oregonian] but rescinded their endorsement in September. [cite news
title=In slight turnabout, Oregonian opposes I-1000
date=September 22 2008
url=http://www.theolympian.com/adamwilson/story/592775.html
work=The Olympian] Actor Martin Sheen has appeared in television ads opposing Initiative 1000. [cite news
title=Martin Sheen to appear in ads against I-1000
date=September 29 2008
url=http://www.yakima-herald.com/blogs/valley-vox/posts/8018
work=Yakima Herald]

pecific provisions in the initiative

The official ballot summary for the measure, slightly amended following a February 2008 court challenge, is, "This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents medically predicted to die within six months to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician. The measure requires two oral and one written request, two physicians to diagnose the patient and determine the patient is competent, a waiting period, and physician verification of an informed patient decision. Physicians, patients and others acting in good faith compliance would have criminal and civil immunity." [ cite web |title=Initiative Measure 1000 "The Washington Death with Dignity Act"
date=2008-01-24 |url=http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/text/i1000.pdf |work=Secretary of State of Washington]

Provisions in the initiative include:

* The patient must be an adult (18 or over) resident of the state of Washington
* The patient must be mentally competent, verified by two physicians (or referred to a mental health evaluation)
* The patient must be terminally ill with less than 6 months to live, verified by two physicians
* The patient must make voluntary requests, without coercion, verified by two physicians
* The patient must be informed of all other options including palliative and hospice care
* There is a 15 day waiting period between the first oral request and a written request
* There is a 48 hour waiting period between the written request and the writing of the prescription
* The written request must be signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient or employed by the health care facility
* The patient is encouraged to discuss with family (not required because of confidentiality laws)
* The patient may change their mind at any time and rescind the request

ee also

* [http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Washington_Death_with_Dignity_Initiative_(2008) Ballotpedia entry on Washington Initiative 1000]
* Oregon Death with Dignity Act, a ballot initiative passed in 1994 in the neighboring state of Oregon

References

External links

In support

* [http://www.yeson1000.org/ Yes! on I-1000 Committee]
* [http://www.deathwithdignity.org/ Death With Dignity National Center]

In opposition

* [http://noassistedsuicide.com/ Coalition Against Assisted Suicide]

Additional reading

* [http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/08/07/social-issues-dominate-2008-ballot-initiatives/ "Wall Street Journal": "Social Issues Dominate 2008 Ballot Initiatives," Aug. 7, 2008]
* [http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-righttodie22-2008jun22,0,5400583.story LA Times: "Washington's right to die battle is personal," June 22, 2008]
* [http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/oped/2007/12/05/death_with_dignity_initiative_set_for_2008 "The News Tribune": "Death with Dignity initiative set for 2008," Dec. 5, 2007]
* [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEOj2lhkuVJCGiPp-q1UD2ehPnEAD91B9BBG0 Associated Press: "Washington state mulls assisted suicide measure," June 16, 2008]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004479209_secretdonors16m.html "Seattle Times": "Identifying donors becomes issue in right-to-die campaign," June 16, 2008]
* [http://www.newsroomamerica.com/usa/story.php?id=421573 NewsroomAmerica.com: "Wash. Considers Assisted Suicide Measure," June 16, 2008]