In a historic vote on Tuesday night, West Virginia became the first U.S. state to ban assisted suicide in its constitution.
Assisted suicide is the practice of someone purposefully helping another to commit suicide. It is sometimes euphemistically called “aid in dying,” and in Canada, is labeled “Medical Aid in Dying (MAID),” along with euthanasia.
According to Republican State Delegate Pat McGeehan, who supported the ballot measure to ban assisted suicide in the state, “There’s this phenomenon of nihilism that’s sort of spreading across the country, and I think it’s an important issue we need to address. To the best of my knowledge, we’ll be the first to place this and take a stand in the state constitution.”
As reported by LiveAction News in February 2024, the process started when by a margin of 88-9, the West Virginia House passed a resolution to ban the practice through a state constitutional amendment. Since then, a coalition of the WV Alliance for Ethical Health Care, West Virginians for Life, and other organizations have worked tirelessly to educate West Virginians about the dangers of assisted suicide for vulnerable populations and about the need to support Amendment 1.
Opposition to the amendment was led by the West Virginia ACLU. “I think that it was worded intentionally to create that confusion, and unfortunately for folks in terminal situations here in West Virginia, that strategy worked,” according to Rusty Williams, ACLU “advocacy specialist,” as reported by WV Public Broadcasting.
And yet, the wording on the ballot seems clear. The amendment prohibits assisted suicide, euthanasia, and any “mercy killing,” with the following language:
No 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.
Nothing in this section prohibits the administration or prescription of medication for the purpose of alleviating pain or discomfort while the patient’s condition follows its natural course; nor does anything in this section prohibit the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment, as requested by the patient or the patient’s decision-maker, in accordance with State law.
Further, nothing in this section prevents the State from providing capital punishment.
Out of over 666,275 votes cast, the amendment passed by a margin of 5,878 votes per a press release by West Virginians for Life.
