What’s Happening and What’s to Come: Discussing Physician Assisted Suicide

What’s Happening and What’s to Come: Discussing Physician Assisted Suicide 

By: Jason Marshall - Eastside High School 

The 2019 season of the Model General Assembly has brought with it many new and exciting bills. Some of these legislative pieces aim high, one bill attempted to legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Virginia, or some as simple as raising the age required to operate a personal watercraft from sixteen to eighteen. Although every bill is important, there are always some bills that get majority of the publicity as a result of their controversial topics. One of this year’s highly controversial bills is Old Dominion Senate Bill NO. 71, a bill implementing a system allowing and regulating physician assisted suicide. 

This bill has had some heavy debate and has been met with a plethora of delegates and senators in opposition, but has somehow managed to make it to the third and final day of MGA. Amy Tramontozzi from YMCA Arlington - Wakefield, a patron of the bill, contributes part of the bill's success to the enormous support to stop someone who is suffering. Tramontozzi stated in a interview “Although I don’t believe I could personally go through with such a procedure, many suffer everyday from an illness that continually deteriorates both their body and mind, making such a procedure a way to quickly and easily end their suffering.” This is the argument that she has carried through committee and the Senate where it has passed and now heads to the house committees for approval. 

Physician assisted suicide looks as if it will make it to the Youth Governor's desk, however, Governor Dannenfelser does not have a positive outlook for the bill. During his 2019 press conference, Dannenfelser stated that he was indeed in opposition of Old Dominion Senate Bill 71 seeing that part of his agenda this year deals with the preservation of life. He later said “I see this procedure improper in the sense that a doctor should not have the power to assist a patient to end their life.” He ended with comparing this system to an already established system in some European countries where the system can be abused.  

This bill has somehow passed through the committee and Senate regardless of its high opposition. Seeing that the bill is likely to make it through the House and associated committees, the question now falls to whether or not Governor Dannenfelser is willing to sacrifice part his agenda to potentially stop the suffering of men and women in the Commonwealth of Virginia.