New York Governor Kathy Hochul Will Sign Dangerous Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that she will sign dangerous legislation legalizing assisted suicide.

That’s a move pro-life and disability rights advocates warn endangers the state’s most vulnerable citizens, discriminates against the disabled and opens the door to future expansions of state-sanctioned death.

Hochul, a Catholic, said she has reached an agreement with legislative leaders to add supposed “guardrails” to the Medical Aid in Dying Act before signing it into law next year. However pro-life groups warn that such limits have eventually been abused or removed in other states and countries, leading to euthanasia and pressure to die.

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In an op-ed, Hochul described the measure as providing “a merciful option” for those in pain, writing, “I was taught that God is merciful and compassionate, and so must we be. This includes permitting a merciful option to those facing the unimaginable and searching for comfort in their final months in this life.”

Hochul makes no mention of pain relief or other measures to reduce or eliminate pain.

Critics, including the New York State Catholic Conference, condemned the decision, arguing it abandons the vulnerable.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and New York’s bishops stated that Hochul’s position “signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders.”

Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski, a Republican and father of a daughter with developmental disabilities, called the impending signing “an abominable decision.”

“Tragically, Governor Hochul has decided to sign assisted suicide into law in the State of New York,” Sempolinski said. “This is an abominable decision that I fear will lead to the destruction of the most vulnerable among us, especially the developmentally disabled. … As the father of a daughter with a developmental disability, I fear that legalized assisted suicide will eventually be abused to harm the disabled. … The answer is not suicide. I stand for life.”

Jessica Rodgers, coalitions director for the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, criticized the governor’s amendments as insufficient, stating that the legislation remains inherently discriminatory.

“She, correctly, understood that the legislation was weak and would harm New Yorkers,” Rodgers said. “Unfortunately, her proposed amendments do nothing to change the inherent discrimination in the bill. Assisted suicide policy is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

Rodgers praised the bipartisan coalition that fought the bill, noting it passed by a slim margin despite heavy lobbying against it, and vowed continued legal challenges.

Assisted suicide advocates have openly admitted plans to broaden the law once enacted.

A spokesperson for the New York State Catholic Conference responded: “The physician-assisted suicide lobby finally said the quiet part out loud — admitting they will immediately push for expansions of any law Governor Hochul might consider signing. … The only way to prevent the ongoing expansion of a suicide mentality is to veto this bill because once the assisted suicide door is opened, it only opens wider.”

The legislation, passed by lawmakers earlier this year, would make New York one of a dozen states plus the District of Columbia permitting the deadly practice.

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