Oregon Ballot Measure 16 (1994)
From Ballotpedia
Oregon Ballot Measure 16 (1994), also known as the "Death with Dignity Act" appeared on the Oregon ballot in November 8, 1994. It narrowly passed, with 627,980 votes in favor and 596,018 votes against (or 51.3% to 48.7%).
Measure 16 legalized physician-assisted dying with certain restrictions. Passage of the initiative made Oregon the first U.S. state and one of the first jurisdictions in the world to pass such a law.
The Oregon State Legislature placed a legislative referral on the ballot in 1997, Oregon Ballot Measure 51 (1997), seeking to repeal Measure 16. However, that effort failed, with 60% of voters opposed.
The Death with Dignity Act was challenged by the federal Justice Department under George Bush, but it was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in a 2005 decision, Gonzales v. Oregon.
Washington I-1000 in 2008
A similar ballot measure, I-1000, is set to appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in the state of Washington.
Impact
As of 2006, 292 people have taken their lives under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act.[1]
External links
- Text of the law
- State government website about law
- Web site opposed to the law
- Web site in favor of law
- Compassion & Choices
- Briefs filed by the state of Oregon in the Oregon v. Gonzales case
- Is the Oregon Death with Dignity Act a good law? Website with pros and cons
- Oregon Voter's Guide page on Measure 51--includes the full text of the measure, and arguments for and against
