Failed Attempts to Legalize Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide in the United States

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In the United States, Oregon was the first state to legalized physician-assisted suicide. At that time, assisted-suicide advocates predicted that there would be a rapid “domino effect,” and other states would soon follow Oregon’s lead. But they were wrong. It took fourteen years before another state legalized the practice, and, even then, only after advocates spent a whole year preparing the campaign and raising millions of dollars to insure the victory they so desperately wanted. That state was Washington, the state consultants said was demographically most like Oregon and, therefore, most likely to favor assisted suicide.

But, since Oregon legalized assisted suicide in 1994, other states have rejected assisted-suicide measures, many multiple times. Between January 1994 and June 2009, there were 113 legislative proposals in 24 states. All were either defeated, tabled for the session, or languished with no action taken.

Here is a listing, by state, of all the ballot initiatives (since 1991) and all the legislative measures (since 1994) to legalize euthanasia and/or assisted suicide in the U.S.

Ballot Initiatives that Passed

Oregon - 1994 
 
Ballot Measure 16 (Oregon Death with Dignity Act) passed on November 8, 1994, by the narrow margin of 51% to 49%. By legalizing physician-assisted suicide, the ballot measure transformed the crime of assisted suicide into a medical treatment.
 
Washington State - 2008
 
Ballot Initiative 1000 (Washington Death with Dignity Act) passed on November 4, 2008, by a vote of 58% to 42%. The Washington law is virtually identical to Oregon’s assisted-suicide law.

Ballot Initiatives that Were Defeated

Washington State - 1991
 
Ballot Initiative 119, which would have legalized "aid-in-dying" (euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide), was defeated by a vote of 54% to 46%. 
 
California - 1992
 
Proposition 161, a ballot initiative that would have legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide failed by a vote of 54% to 46%. 
 
Michigan - 1998
 
Measure B, which would have legalized physician-assisted suicide, was overwhelmingly rejected by a margin of 71% to 29%.
 
Maine - 2000
 
Question 1, the "Maine Death with Dignity Act," patterned after the "Oregon Death with Dignity Act" would have legalized physician-assisted suicide.  It was defeated by voters 51% to 49%.  

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For more extensive information about U.S. proposals to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, see:
 
"Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide & Health Care Decisions" (2006)
"Assisted Suicide & Death with Dignity: Past, Present & Future" (2004)
"Assisted Suicide: The Continuing Debate" (2002)
"The Art of Verbal Engineering" (1996)
ITF Update: on-line editions (1996 - Present)
 
 

International Task Force
on Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide
P.O. Box 760
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-282-3810 or 800-958-5678
www.internationaltaskforce.org

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