The US Supreme Court upheld Oregon's one-of-a-kind physician-assisted suicide law today, rejecting a Bush administration attempt to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.
The court held that a federal drug law does not override the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives of more than 200 seriously ill people.
Oddly, this again is a state rights vs. federal law issue. I am always fascinated when a purportedly conservative justice votes against a state and for the feds. This tells us a lot about Roberts, the new Chief Justice, who dissented along with Scalia and Thomas.
This decision is important not just for Oregon, and not just for assisted suicide issues, but for all states and for all doctors. Medical professionals can be easily scared off from prescribing pain managment drugs, fearing prosecution by the feds. This decision should give medical people some comfort anyway.
The court held that a federal drug law does not override the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives of more than 200 seriously ill people.
Oddly, this again is a state rights vs. federal law issue. I am always fascinated when a purportedly conservative justice votes against a state and for the feds. This tells us a lot about Roberts, the new Chief Justice, who dissented along with Scalia and Thomas.
This decision is important not just for Oregon, and not just for assisted suicide issues, but for all states and for all doctors. Medical professionals can be easily scared off from prescribing pain managment drugs, fearing prosecution by the feds. This decision should give medical people some comfort anyway.