Religious groups urge Hochul to kill Medical Aid in Dying bill

Now that both chambers of the state Legislature have approved the Medical Aid in Dying Act for the first time, all eyes are on Gov. Kathy Hochul as supporters and opponents of the bill pressure her to act on it. Already, numerous groups have urged her to veto the legislation.

The New York State Catholic Conference has been among the most vocal opponents of the bill, which would permit terminally ill people with less than six months to live to receive life-ending medication after a sign-off from two doctors. The group, which represents Catholic bishops in the state, has retained the firm Stanhope Partners to lobby specifically against the bill. The conference’s lobbying efforts have included the executive chamber already, in addition to legislative leaders. But now that the final decision on whether to make the measure law rests with Hochul, that lobbying will likely intensify. 

In a statement decrying the bill’s passage in the state Senate Monday evening, the conference’s executive director Dennis Poust expressed confidence that Hochul will veto the bill. “We fully expect the Governor will also hear the concerns of the disabilities community, which has expressed grave concern that they will be coerced toward assisted suicide due to loss of independence or bodily function,” he said. Poust argued that the Medical Aid in Dying Act would undermine Hochul’s commitment to improving mental health outcomes in the state and said that New York should instead focus on palliative care. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Governor on these priorities following her veto of this disastrous bill,” he said.

Catholics are not the only religious group that is calling on Hochul to reject the legislation. Agudath of Israel, a leading Orthodox Jewish organization, has also spent time lobbying against the bill, according to state records, though so far that lobbying has focused on individual members of the Legislature. “We have met dozens of legislators on this issue, testified publicly and sent out numerous action alerts,” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, director of New York government relations. “We are deeply disappointed at (yesterday’s) vote and strongly urge Governor Hochul to veto this bill.”

The Orthodox Union, a large umbrella organization of Orthodox Jews, offered a similar message in a statement following the legislation’s passage. Rabbi Moshe Hauer acknowledged in a statement that every New Yorker may not share the religious community’s thoughts on life’s sanctity, but warned of the “slippery slope” of legalizing medically-assisted death. “We strongly urge Governor Hochul to hear the voice of the faith community and so many others and use her veto power to protect us all,” Hauer said. Public records don’t show the group lobbying state officials on the bill this year.

The Medical Aid in Dying Act has also faced opposition from parts of the disability advocate community. Although the group Center for Disability Rights did not immediately release a statement calling on Hochul to veto the legislation after it passed the state Senate, the group has spent time this year lobbying against it. So far, those efforts have focused on a few specific Assembly Members and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. But those efforts could shift to the governor in the months to come. 

The anti-abortion group Feminists Choosing Life – which was also involved in opposing Prop 1 in New York last year – has also lobbied the Legislature to oppose the bill. Decades ago, the group also played a role in ending the death penalty in the state. “On behalf of our brothers and sisters at risk of suicide, we’re asking Governor Hochul to please stand strong, and stay true to her word to keep fighting for suicide prevention, by NOT signing MAID into law,” said Michele Sterlace-Accorsi, the group’s executive director.

Several Democrats voted against the Medical Aid in Dying Act in both chambers. Notably, a number of Black female lawmakers expressed concern over the impacts that the proposed law would have on communities of color. “While I do support the freedom to choose and freedom to decide in the pursuit of happiness, my concern and opposition of this bill comes from the great risk of targeting vulnerable communities of color, given the historical health disparities that they continue to face,” Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said while voting against the bill in April. Assembly Members Michaelle Solages, Latrice Walker and Crystal Peoples-Stokes voiced similar concerns on the Assembly floor. 

In the state Senate, none of the Democrats who voted “no” explained their vote, but those who voted against the bill included Black women like state Sens. April Baskin, Siela Bynoe, Cordell Cleare and Roxanne Persaud. The opposition from lawmakers like these could influence Hochul as she decides whether to sign or veto the bill. 

Of course, Hochul will also face significant pressure from the many persistent proponents of the legislation. Polling paid for by supportive groups also suggests that permitting terminally ill patients to end their own lives is popular among the majority of New Yorkers.

A spokesperson for Hochul would not say where the governor stands on the idea of physician-assisted death for terminally ill patients, only that she would review the legislation. Hochul hasn’t publicly indicated where she falls on the issue, but she has spoken often about the influence and importance of her Catholic upbringing. A person familiar with Hochul’s thinking said that the governor is generally good at separating her personal beliefs and policy, and also pointed out her personal experience with her mother’s ALS. “I think she’s likely going to go in weighing both sides very earnestly,” the person said.