{"id":330497,"date":"2025-05-02T06:46:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T11:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=330497"},"modified":"2025-05-01T00:14:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T05:14:54","slug":"disability-advocates-against-ny-assisted-suicide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/disability-advocates-against-ny-assisted-suicide\/","title":{"rendered":"Disability advocates rail against New York Assembly’s passage of assisted suicide bill"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The New York Assembly passed a bill<\/a> Tuesday to legalize assisted suicide in the state, by a vote of 81-67. The Medical Aid in Dying Act (A136<\/a>) would allow adults who are considered to be terminally ill with six months or less to live to be prescribed lethal drugs.<\/p>\n

During debate, Assemblywoman Karines Reyes argued<\/a> that it would be “inhumane” to deprive someone of the opportunity to commit suicide. “If you don\u2019t believe in it, then don\u2019t avail yourself of that choice, but I think it is inhumane for us to tell people that we are forcing them to continue their suffering,” Reyes said.<\/p>\n

Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh disagreed. \u201cEach and every life has value,\u201d she said. \u201cProgress may not be on a straight line and will look different to each of us, but this idea of giving up and dying is not ‘excelsior, ever upward’. It\u2019s incredibly sad,\u201d she said, referencing the state’s motto.<\/p>\n

Multiple organizations have spoken out against the legislation, including the New York State Catholic Conference. \u201cNew York state should instead strengthen palliative care, improve health care services and counseling for people in crisis and show America what real compassion looks like,\u201d said Robert Bellafiore, the group’s spokesman.<\/p>\n