Voters in West Virginia yesterday, it appears, narrowly passed Amendment 1, a measure to amend the state constitution to permanently ban medical aid in dying, marking the first constitutional amendment of its kind in the country. Legislators took the extraordinary step of referring this constitutional amendment to the ballot to make it more difficult to authorize this compassionate option in the future.

“The overreach by zealous legislators should have never happened. The constitution is no place to regulate health care for terminally ill people,” said Charmaine Manansala, Chief Advocacy Officer at Compassion & Choices. “This is just the beginning. We should expect the possibility of ballot initiatives like this in other states, and Compassion & Choices will be there to protect patient-directed care and bodily autonomy at the end of life wherever those rights are threatened.”

While the West Virginia constitution is designed to protect individual freedoms from government overreach, Amendment 1 is a clear instance of overreach into personal decisions related to end-of-life care. Compassion & Choices remains committed to fighting these encroachments on freedom and patient choice across the nation.

With this constitutional ban, West Virginia joins a troubling wave of legislation where personal freedoms are undermined by lawmakers’ political agendas. This measure further denies terminally ill adults the opportunity to die on their terms and could inspire similar amendments in as many as 25 states and Washington, D.C., threatening rights Compassion & Choices has tirelessly worked to secure.

Medical aid in dying is an established medical practice for mentally capable terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less the option to request and obtain a prescription from their doctor, that they may choose to take if their suffering becomes unbearable. Authorized in 10 states and Washington, D.C., this option provides individuals the peace of mind that they can make personal end-of-life decisions on their own terms.

Compassion & Choices remains vigilant against further attempts to impose restrictive bans on this fundamental healthcare choice in other states across the country. The organization continues to advocate for the rights of terminally ill individuals to make their own medical decisions and calls upon legislators in Illinois, New York, Maryland, Minnesota, Delaware, Nevada, and other states—where a majority of voters support medical aid-in-dying legislation—to advance policies that align with the values and wishes of their constituents.

About Compassion & Choices
Compassion & Choices is the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit focused on improving end-of-life care, expanding options, and empowering individuals to chart their own end-of-life journey.

For media inquiries, contact: Michael Cavaiola, 480-622-4427, [email protected] 

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