Many anti assisted suicide advocates worry that Idaho is on the pro-doctor prescribed death target list for legalization, probably by test court case, since there is not a specific law prohibiting assisted suicide. A just filed bill, S 1070, seeks to change that. From the bill:
18-4017. CAUSING A SUICIDE — ASSISTING IN A SUICIDE — INJUNCTIVE RELIEF — REVOCATION OF LICENSE — EXCEPTIONS. (1) A person is guilty of a felony if such person knowingly by force or duress causes another person to commit or to attempt to commit suicide. (2) A person is guilty of a felony if such person, with the purpose of assisting another person to commit or to attempt to commit suicide, knowingly and intentionally either:
(a) Provides the physical means by which another person commits or attempts to commit suicide; or
(b) Participates in a physical act by which another person commits or attempts to commit suicide.
The bill would also permit injunctions against a pending assisted suicide and for stripping the licenses of doctors who assist suicides. Pass this please.
Meanwhile, in other states: Montana—which is in a very confusing situation in the wake of the Supreme Court’s weird decision declaring assisted suicide not against public policy with regard to its advance medical directives law—has competing bills, one to legalize explicitly and one to prohibit explicitly. Hawaii’s State Senate just defeated a legalization bill in committee. Vermont has a legalization bill pending.
No rest for the weary.
