Several states have passed laws allowing doctors to assist terminally ill patients who want to commit suicide. Whenever these laws are passed, there is always some controversy. However, it has not been nearly as what has occurred since California passed its law allowing the practice.
California has seen groups consisting of both doctors and religious-affiliated people fight hard against the law. In May of 2018, the law’s opponents won a major victory, when a district court judge declared that the law violated the state's constitution.
However, it was not a complete victory. This is because the judge did not rule on the merits of doctor-assisted suicide. Instead, the judge declared the manner in which the law had been passed as unconstitutional. That partial victory is now in doubt, as an appeals court issued an immediate stay of the lower court's order, as KVOA reports in "Court reinstates doctor-assisted suicide in California."
The California law is being closely monitored by interest groups on both sides of the debate over doctor-assisted suicide.
Interest groups are also following the law, because it included several provisions mandating that the state collect data about how the law was working and to issue regular reports about it. Both sides hope what the data reveals will be helpful for them, as other states consider similar laws.
Reference: KVOA (June 16, 2018) "Court reinstates doctor-assisted suicide in California."
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