Two bills deal with assisted suicide

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Health Writer

Gov. Ben Cayetano is again pushing bills to allow terminally ill people to end their lives with a doctor's assistance, and supporters of assisted suicide will begin a lobbying campaign today.

But support has yet to materialize at the Legislature, where the chairman of the Senate Health Committee has decided to not consider the bills.

Cayetano introduced an assisted-suicide bill in 1999, but the emotionally charged issue was shelved early in the session.

This year the governor introduced two bills that would:

• Allow people suffering from a terminal condition to request a doctor's help in ending their life.

• Ask voters if the state constitution should be amended to "allow terminally ill adult patients voluntary informed choice to obtain a physician's prescription for drugs to end life."

"(The governor) wants the people of Hawai'i to be able to vote on the issue," said Cayetano spokeswoman Kim Murakawa.

Supporters are fighting to get the bills a hearing this year. Eli Stutsman, one of the architects of the pioneering Oregon law that allows physician-assisted suicide, will be lobbying at the Capitol today.

And the Unitarian Church said it will release a survey today that shows Hawai'i residents support such a law.

A staff member for Senate Health Committee Chairman David Matsuura, D-2nd (S. Hilo, Puna), said yesterday that Matsuura will not hear either bill.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Eric Hamakawa, D-3rd (S. Hilo, Puna), said he has yet to decide if he will hear the bill.

Hawai'i Family Forum Executive Director Kelly Rosati said she doesn't believe there is support for the proposal at the Legislature.

On previous occasions, Rosati has joined with others to speak against physician-assisted suicide bills. Opponents have included those from the medical community, religious groups and right-to-life organizations who say such a law would turn doctors against their healing mission and diminish the value of life. There also are concerns that a law could be abused or leave the elderly feeling pressured to end their lives.

"When you take what some refer to as a 'right' to die, it can also turn into a 'duty' to die for the most vulnerable populations among us," Rosati said. "People who may be elderly, who may be terminally ill, who may have a disability, may begin to feel like society has imposed this duty upon them the check out early."

On the other side of the debate is Hemlock Hawai'i President Andi van der Voort, who believes there is public support for the right to die.

"We would hope that (legislators) would set aside their personal convictions and hear the bill for their constituents," she said.

Van der Voort said that Oregon, which in 1997 became only the state to pass a physician-assisted suicide law, has benefited by an improvement in end-of-life care.