Vermont legalizes assisted suicide

On May 20, Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont signed legislation to legalize assisted suicide.  Vermont is now the fourth state to legalize assisted suicide after Oregon, Washington and Montana.  Michigan voters rejected a proposal in 1998 to legalize assisted suicide here by a margin of 71% to 29%.

Vermont is the first state to pass such a law through the legislative process. Oregon and Washington enacted their laws by referendum; in Montana, it was legalized by the courts.

The law, which went into effect Monday, allows for an end-of-life procedure with the consent of a patient’s doctor after the patient has made more than one request for help in ending life. The bill also stipulates that the patient has a chance to retract the request.

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