West Virginia votes on Amendment 1 to prevent assisted suicide.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Pat McGeehan on the right.

I had the opportunity to speak in West Virginia on October 22, 2024 in support of Amendment 1, which seeks to add protection from assisted suicide and euthanasia to the West Virginia State Constition. The event in Weirton featured Pat McGeehan, a six term representative from Hancock who is a co-sponsor for the Amendment and myself.

Craig Howell, the Managing editor of the Weirton Daily Times reported on the event. Howell wrote:

Two weeks before the Nov. 5 election, one local legislator is speaking on why he feels it is important for West Virginia voters to approve Amendment 1.

If approved by voters, Amendment 1, also known as the Protection of Persons Against Medically Assisted Suicide amendment, would modify the West Virginia Constitution to include prohibitions of medically assisted suicide procedures being performed in the state. Such change, if enacted, would be listed under Article III, Section 23 of the Constitution.

McGeehan explained that assisted suicide is not permitted in West Virginia but Amendment 1 will assure that it never will be permitted in West Virginia. Howell reported:

“The citizens of West Virginia have a chance to light a beacon,” 

“The despair of suicide will be rebuked in West Virginia’s Constitution.”

Howell reported what Amendment 1 states:

The language of the amendment will stipulate that “No physician or health care provider in the State of West Virginia shall participate in the practice of medically-assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing. Nothing in this section prohibits the administration or prescription of medication for the purpose of alleviating pain or discomfort while the patient’s condition follows its natural course; nor does anything in this section prohibit the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment, as requested by the patient or the patient’s decision-maker, in accordance with State law, so long as the intention is not to kill the patient.”

Pat McGeehan speaking.

McGeehan described assisted suicide as affecting people when they lack hope or believe that they are a burden on others. McGeehan spoke about these deaths and likened them to medical bullying. Howell reported McGeehan as saying:

“We don’t do that here. We’re not like that,” 

“Passing Amendment 1 will make that clear.”

Howell reported that I spoke about assisted suicide in America and more specifically Oregon, as well as I told a few stories from Canada. Howell reported:

Currently, such practice is legal in 10 states – California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, Maine, New Jersey, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington – as well as Washington, D.C. Schadenberg, though, expressed concern that once a state makes it legal, those laws will expand to allow medically assisted death procedures to be available for more and more conditions.

Howell further reported me as saying:

“This is a threat to all of us because we are human beings,” he said, pointing to cases where people making such a decision are going through difficult periods of their lives and dealing with fear, a loss of hope or loneliness. “These are the underlying reasons.”

I concluded by saying that assisted suicide is not a right or left political issue but rather it is about killing people.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition supports Amendment 1 and we hope that West Virginia voters do not become confused by the advertising from the assisted suicide lobby.

Previous article on this topic:

• Assisted suicide destroys hope (Link).
• Vote YES to Amendment 1 for protection from assisted suicide (Link).