Former WA gov files assisted suicide initiative

06:04 PM PST on Wednesday, January 9, 2008
By ROBERT MAK / KING 5 News and Associated Press
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stori...M.70c3132.html

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Former Gov. Booth Gardner has filed an initiative that would legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill people.

The initiative is patterned after Oregon's assisted suicide law. It would allow Washingtonians with six months to live to get lethal prescription drugs if they want to end their lives.

"The initiative we filed today gives mentally competent adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and less than six months to live the ability to legally obtain a prescription for life-ending medication," said Gardner.

The 71-year-old, who has Parkinson's Disease, says this is his last campaign. Gardner says the prospect of losing control of his body has made him supportive of the so-called "Death with Dignity" initiative.

"This is not about me. The initiative would not apply to me because I have Parkinson's, which is not considered a terminal disease," said Gardner.

"It's extremely common for medical predictions of short life-expectancy to be wrong, the overwhelming evidence that predictions of death are unreliable, especially six months out," said Duane French of the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide.

Opponents of the measure, including the state medical association, religious groups and disability groups say the law is open to abuse – that some people may by depressed or feel pressured to end their lives prematurely.

Gardner says there are safeguards in the law. There is a 15 day waiting period and there must be two doctors and independent witnesses involved.

Supporters have collected 225,000 signatures to get it on the fall ballot. They say they are prepared to use paid signature gatherers if necessary.