From: clarinews@clarinet.com (TED APPEL)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.state,clari.news.issues,clari.news.election,biz.clarinet.sample
Subject: Right-to-die initiative makes California ballot
Keywords: state government, government, right to die, social issues,
	election, politics
Date: 10 Apr 92 01:33:45 GMT
Followup-To: biz.clarinet.sample
ACategory: usa
Slugword: death
Priority: daily
Format: daily
ANPA: Wc: 552; Id: z7274; Sel: xxngs; Adate: 4-9-930ped
Codes: yngsdxx., ynxddxx., ynpedxx.


	SACRAMENTO, Calif. (UPI) -- A right-to-die initiative that would make
California the first state in the nation to legalize doctor-assisted
suicide for the terminially ill qualified Thursday for the Nov. 3
ballot.
	Sponsors of the Death with Dignity Act submitted valid signatures
from nearly 428,000 registered voters to place the initiative on the
ballot, according to random samples by county election officials,
Secretary of State March Fong Eu said. About 385,000 valid signatures
were required to qualify the measure.
	The measure would allow mentally competent adults who have six months
or less to live to sign a statement asking a doctor to end his or her
life. The statement must be witnessed by at least two doctors and could
be revoked.
	Physicians could refuse to end life on religious, moral or ethical
grounds. They would be protected from civil liability or criminal
charges if they ended the life of a terminally ill patient who signed
the declaration.
	Currently, it is a felony in California for a doctor to help a
patient commit suicide, even if the patient is terminally ill and
requests assistance.
	``We are confident the voters will approve this initiative in
November because it prevents unnecessary suffering, it increases our
personal control of events at life's end, it is voluntary for all
concerned, and it has the safeguards necessary to prevent abuse,'' said
Robert Risley, chairman of Californians Against Human Suffering.
	The Los Angeles group sponsored a similar initiative in 1988, but
failed to gather enough signatures to place the question before voters.
	The election campaign is sure to reignite a heated debate over the
right to die that has recently centered on the Michigan case of Dr. Jack
Kevorkian, who will stand trial on murder charges for his role in the
1991 deaths of two non-terminally ill patients.
	The California group has condemned Kevorkian and fears that public
support for the initiative may be damaged if the physician, nicknamed 
``Dr. Death'' by the news media, goes on trial close to the election.
	``His being in the news probably won't help that much,'' Risley said.
``I am hoping that Dr. Kevorkian won't engage in any more of his
activities and help anybody else to die. It's illegal and he puts a very
negative face on this issue.''
	Risley expects well-funded opposition by the Catholic Church and the
California Medical Association. Californians Against Human Suffering,
meanwhile, is nearly broke after spending almost $300,000 on its
signature gathering campaign.
	The group hopes to raise $1 million for the fall election campaign.
He predicted voters will approve the initiative, citing public opinion
polls by his group that show more than two out of three Californians
support the right to die.
	Voters in Washington state recently defeated a right-to-die
initiative. Risley said the California version contains more safeguards
to prevent abuse than the measure rejected by Washington voters.
	Among its supporters are the National Organization for Women, the
California Senior Legislature, Gray Panthers and other seniors' groups.
	``People are concerned about this issue because of the fear about a
long dying process,'' Risley said.
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