Policy
Majority of New Yorkers (still) support Medical Aid in Dying becoming law
New polling shows a majority of New Yorkers want the governor to sign legislation permitting doctors to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives.
The Medical Aid in Dying Bill would allow medical professionals to provide medicine to certain terminally ill patients that would allow them to end their lives. Digicom Photo/Science Photo Library via Getty Images
A new poll shows 56% of New Yorkers want Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the Medical Aid in Dying bill, which would allow some New Yorkers with terminal illnesses to end their lives with the indirect assistance of a medical professional. Although support largely holds among different demographics, the legislation is not without controversy, and 23% don’t want the governor to sign the legislation.
The bill languished in the statehouse for years due to opposition from religious organizations and some disability rights groups, as well as lawmakers with moral qualms and firm beliefs on suicide. It passed this year after consistent lobbying from advocates, but opponents like the New York State Catholic Conference are still hoping to prevent it from becoming law.
The survey from Public Policy Polling was conducted between Sept. 17 and Sept. 18 with more than 1,000 people from across the state. New Yorkers over 45 years old made up 61% of all respondents. Among this older cohort, 54% of those aged 46 to 65 supported the governor signing the Medical Aid in Dying bill, as did 53% of respondents older than 65. Additionally, 66% of those aged 30 to 45 supported the governor signing the bill, showing that most adults in New York agree with the proposed law. Among the religious, 49% of Catholics, 51% of Protestants and 45% of Jewish respondents want the bill signed.
The bill's opposition, according to the poll, spikes in a few demographics. A plurality of 42% of Republicans think Hochul should not sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law, and younger people and Jewish New Yorkers also show less support for the bill. Black New Yorkers are split, with 31% saying they don’t want the legislation signed and 33% saying they are unsure.
Supporters of the Medical Aid in Dying bill believe the latest polling shows the bill has popular support in New York and particularly plays well with Democratic primary voters – which could be crucial for Hochul, who is facing a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. Corrine Carey, Compassion & Choices’ senior campaign director for New York and New Jersey, hopes that shifting public opinion will sway the governor’s pen.
“With better than two-to-one support, 56-23%, including 66-16% among Democratic primary voters, Governor Hochul can rest assured that doing the right thing and signing the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law has the added benefit of carrying out the wishes of a clear majority of her constituents,” Carey said in a statement.
The poll is consistent with previous surveys that have also found majority support for the Medical Aid in Dying bill. In May, a poll commissioned by End of Life Choice New York found that 68% of New Yorkers support the bill. Last year, a poll sponsored by Death With Dignity and the Completed Life Initiative found that 64% of New Yorkers supported the bill.