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Oregon was the first state to pass a mandatory deposit bill on soda bottles and cans. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize marijuana. Going back further, Oregon was one of the first states to give its voters the right of initiative and referendum. Recently the voters of Oregon used their right of initiative to pass a law making physician-assisted euthanasia legal. If you knew Oregonians, that wouldn't surprise you in the slightest; we (and after all these years I still think of it as "we") have a strong sense of letting everyone control their own fates. Of course, it instantly hit the radar of a lot of pro-life organizations, and it had to be passed again, which it was. Now it's law there, and 70 people have taken advantage of it so far. But AG Ashcroft doesn't like it, and he just declared that any physician who assists in such a voluntary death will lose their right to prescribe drugs, which means they wouldn't be able to practice medicine any longer. The Bush administration is wrong in this, and I expect them to lose the lawsuit that the state of Oregon just filed against this action. But it has other ramifications, too: it's become a political issue. Oregon has a US senator from each party, and the Republican is up for reelection, and he's indicated that he's supporting this decision by Ashcroft. Given that the initiative passed by a 2:1 margin both times, this suggests that this is not a very popular position to take in that state -- and it may cost the Bush administration a Republican seat in the Senate. (discuss) Update 20011108: A federal judge has issued a restraining order temporarily overriding Ashcroft. |
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