CHARLESTON, West Virginia (LifeSiteNews) – During the November elections, West Virginians voted to add a prohibition on physician-assisted suicide to their state constitution, tying the hands of future legislatures that might otherwise be inclined to try to legalize euthanasia.
Amendment 1 states that “(n)o person, physician, or health care provider in the State of West Virginia shall participate in the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person.” Additional language clarifies that it does not affect decisions about pain medication, “withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment,” or capital punishment.
West Virginia does not currently allow assisted suicide, but the amendment was intended to make the implicit status quo explicit and shield it from future political developments.
“We want to send a message against this sort of nihilistic euthanasia movement sweeping the Western world,” Republican state Del. Pat McGeehan argued. “You need to have it in the state constitution, because laws are not simply prescriptive, they’re also pedagogical. They teach people.”
On Election Day, the amendment narrowly prevailed by a vote of 50.4% to 49.6%, overcoming opposition by groups such as the state chapter of the far-left American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Death with Dignity. The Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston supported the measure, as did pro-life groups.
“The WV Alliance for Ethical Health Care, West Virginians for Life, and organizations that advocate for the rights of persons living with disabilities celebrate the successful passage of Amendment 1,” said Mary Tillman, legislative coordinator for the WV Alliance for Ethical Health Care. “Following the strong example of our legislators who voted by overwhelming majorities, the voters of WV have now also shown their belief that all lives in our beautiful state, regardless of age or ability, will be respected and protected from the dangers of medically assisted suicide. West Virginia becomes the first state in the United States of America to proactively protect all its citizens and health care institutions from the dangerous trend of assisted suicide by a state constitutional amendment.”
Nine states plus the District of Columbia currently allow assisted suicide. Federally, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have called for ending suicide in the nation’s capital over which Congress has jurisdiction.
In contrast, the outgoing Biden administration proposed rescinding federal regulations that provide conscience protections for professionals who do not want to engage in “abortion, sterilization, and certain other health services,” “assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing,” and for “managed care organizations with moral or religious objections to counseling or referral for certain services.”
The Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States can be reached by dialing 988.