NewsMine — cabal-elite — w-administration — big-government — Viewing Item

Conservatives fight state rights on assisted suicide { January 18 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0f1be816-87c8-11da-8762-0000779e2340.html http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0f1be816-87c8-11da-8762-0000779e2340.html Assisted suicide law upheld by US court By Patti Waldmeir in Washington Published: January 18 2006 02:00 | Last updated: January 18 2006 02:00 In a stinging rebuke to the Bush administration, the US Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the US attorney-general could not use federal drug laws to try to stop the right-to-die movement. The majority in the 6-3 ruling said the federal government could not use the federal Controlled Substances Act to stop doctors from prescribing drugs to help terminally ill patients die. The ruling is a victory for advocates of physician-assisted suicide, since it will allow individual states to legalise the practice without running into problems under federal drug laws. The case tested America's first such law, the state of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, which is seen as a model for other states. The majority said a Bush administration attorney-general had overstepped his authority by trying to quash that law in 2001. The issue before the court was one of the toughest of the US culture wars: how much power does the federal government have to interfere with states that want to experiment with end-of-life care? Last year the court ruled against a California end-of-life experiment involving the use of medical marijuana to ease the pain of terminal patients. Legal experts say that yesterday's ruling, which upheld a similar experiment using different drugs, raises more questions than it answers about where the court stands on the issue. The case pitted the administration's power to interpret federal drug law against the traditional power of states to regulate the practice of medicine. Traditionally, politically conservative justices support states' rights and liberal ones support federal power - but yesterday the line-up was reversed, probably because the social issue involved, assisted suicide, divides justices along exactly opposite lines. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority that the Bush administration's position would "effect a radical shift of authority from the states to the federal government to define general standards of medical practice in every locality". He was joined by four liberal justices and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is expected soon to leave the court and be replaced by Judge Samuel Alito. His vote would not have changed the outcome of this case. But the new chief justice, John Roberts, dissented, joining a sharply worded dissent written by Justice Antonin Scalia, which accused the majority of imposing its own values on the practice of medicine by writing a new definition of the phrase "legitimate medical purpose" to include assisted suicide. The case turned on the definition of this phrase under federal drug law. "If the term 'legitimate medical purpose' has any meaning, it surely excludes the prescription of drugs to produce death," Mr Scalia wrote.

no-child-left-behind Area colleges to get federal suicide prevention aid Attorney general says spying needed to fight war Big government getting bigger under bush { September 5 2003 } Bush budget brings republicans to big government era { February 7 2005 } Bush calls for bigger more powerful government { February 9 2005 } Bush calls for great united nations role in darfur { February 18 2006 } Bush denies states rights on energy bill { December 20 2007 } Bush establishes federal suicide prevention { October 19 2004 } Bush federalized mental screening { October 21 2004 } Bush has 7b bird flu battle plan Bush increases federal power over schools { April 22 2008 } Bush legal reform suits from state to federal courts { February 13 2005 } Bush loves big government { June 14 2004 } Bush permitted pentagon spying 3 dozen times Bush plans for deaths of millions americans in flu { October 8 2005 } Bush presides over biggest spending since 1990 Bush says he will continue to approve wire tap { December 17 2005 } Bush submits 2006 fiscal budget { February 7 2005 } Bush tax rebates borrowed from next refund { January 2008 } Bush uses expansive interpretation of pres authority { December 17 2005 } Bush wants greater federal authority for emergencies { September 15 2005 } Conservatives fight state rights on assisted suicide { January 18 2006 } Federal government top heavy with growing executive titles { July 23 2004 } GOP wants increased budget Hillary blasts bush big budget policies Katrina ushers in return of big government Mccain denounces republicans spending Republicans play up voter fraud pushing voter ID { April 11 2007 } Senate oks 800b debt limit hike States rights suffer setbacks in base closings Tax revenue size of govt all time record { April 2007 } White house joins EU on sanctions for belarus Whitehouse projects highest deficit ever Whitehouse says constitutional rights do not apply { April 3 2008 } Files Listed: 34

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.