Oregon could be 1st state to make health care a human right

By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon voters are being asked to decide whether the state should be the first in the nation to amend its constitution to explicitly declare that affordable health care is a fundamental human right. State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward is a main sponsor of the legislation behind the ballot measure. She says making health care a human right is a value statement and is not aimed at pushing Oregon to a single-payer health care system. Opponents warn the amendment could trigger legal and political woes and open the door to lawsuits. Measure 111 got onto the Nov. 8 ballot because the Democratic-controlled Legislature referred the issue to voters last year.