FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coalition Applauds Court Ruling
Changing I-1000 title

The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide today applauded the decision of Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham to clarify the ballot title language of Initiative 1000, the proposed measure to legalize assisted suicide in Washington.

“The new title clearly states that physicians will be given power to assist their patients to commit suicide,” said Shane Macaulay, a physician member of the coalition. “Doctors don’t want that authority and we believe it is dangerous.”

The original title was written by the Attorney General’s office and, according to state law, included a 10-word statement and 30-word description to appear on the ballot, and a 75-word summary that would appear on the petition.

Macaulay noted that the proponents of the measure argued that no changes should be made with the Attorney General’s language.

“The initiative proponents liked the AG’s ballot title because by avoiding using plain language it made it more likely that voters would be tricked into voting for it” Macaulay said. “The judge removed the word ‘voluntarily’ from the description of the procedure and we think is an important change.”

The judge ruled that the official statement and description would be:
BALLOT TITLE AND SUMMARY FROM JUDGE WICKHAM:

Statement of Subject: Initiative Measure No. 1000 concerns allowing certain terminally ill competent adults to obtain lethal prescriptions.

Concise Description: This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents who are medically predicted to have six months or less to live, to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician. Should this measure be enacted into law?
Yes [] No[]

Summary: 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 would require two physicians to diagnose the patient and determine the patient is competent, two oral and one written request by the patient, 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.

“The description that came from the attorney general’s office would have misled voters into thinking that the so-called safeguards mentioned in the proposal actually offered any protection. In fact, the law allows persons who are depressed to receive assistance in committing suicide, without notification of next of kin or evaluation by a mental health professional,” said Macaulay.

“Another misconception about I-1000 is that it gives patients new ‘choices,’ but the unfortunate truth is that suicide has always been a sad choice that some people make, whether they are terminally ill or not. I-1000 is about doctors prescribing lethal drugs to patients when what they need most is good and compassionate medical care. The initiative would even require doctors to falsify death certificates.”

“The proponents of I-1000 say their initiative is about death with dignity,” noted Duane French, a quadriplegic who helped lead the title challenge. “But we want to promote living with dignity, for the terminally ill, the elderly, and people with disabilities. All people deserve respect and compassion. At the end of life, we want doctors to help alleviate pain, not to be given a license to kill.”

“I-1000 contradicts more than two thousand years of medical practice,” says Dr. Patricia O’Halloran, a Tacoma physician who is part of the Coalition. “This is a type of prescription and practice doctors do not want.”

The Washington State Medical Association (the state affiliate of the AMA) rejects I-1000, and neither the Washington Hospice and Palliative Care Organization nor the Washington State Hospital Association supports assisted suicide.

The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide is a broad-based group with doctors, leaders in the disabled community, nurses, hospice workers and elected officials from across the political spectrum.

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