Coalition Submits Signatures in Referendum Against Assisted Suicide Law, Vows to Continue Fight
Sacramento, CA – The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide announced today that they are submitting signatures with elections officials to complete the referendum drive against recent legislation that allows physicians to help kill vulnerable Californians.
While grateful to the thousands of volunteers who collected signatures, the coalition stated that it does not appear they will have sufficient signatures to qualify the referendum for the ballot due to the extremely narrow timeframe. However, they have pledged that their work to oppose the law is not over and will include exploring other options, such as legal action.
“We believe that every life is valuable and is entitled to protection,” said Dr. Mark Hoffman, the proponent of the referendum.
‘A Dangerous Law’: Key Flaws Cited by Opponents
Dr. Hoffman stated that the referendum process proved that voters become concerned about the law once they learn about the many flaws it contains. Key issues raised by the coalition include:
- No Psychological Evaluation: Despite the fact that virtually every terminally ill patient suffers from depression, the law does not require any psychological examination before a physician can assist in a suicide.
- No Witness Required: The law doesn’t require a witness to be present at the time of death, creating a risk that a vulnerable person could be killed by a third party who might benefit financially, such as an heir.
- Falsified Death Certificates: The law asserts that these deaths are not suicides. Consequently, death certificates are not expected to list the real cause of death, which has the potential to exacerbate California’s serious elder abuse problem.
Questions of Legality and Process
The coalition also raised concerns about how the bill was passed. The so-called “physician-assisted suicide” law had failed to pass through the regular legislative process. It was then re-introduced as ABX2-15 and passed in a special session for which, the coalition argues, the measure was not eligible to be considered.
Challenges of the Referendum Drive
The referendum process is difficult, requiring proponents to secure approximately 366,000 signatures in just 90 days. The assisted suicide referendum faced the added challenge of having to be conducted during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holiday periods, giving proponents little time to mount their volunteer drive.
The Fight Is Not Over
“Even if we didn’t have enough time to qualify the referendum to the ballot, the effort has proven to us that our fellow Californians are strongly against this law once they understand how dangerous it is,” Dr. Hoffman said.
“The public policy of California should not allow vulnerable, depressed, terminally-ill citizens to be killed. Our laws should instead ensure that seniors, the terminally ill and the disabled receive the medical and psychological support they need when they are in a vulnerable state. We look forward to presenting our case in other forums as necessity and opportunity afford.”