Our editorial on last night’s assisted-suicide vote in the New York State senate.
It says, in part:
The Democrats who control New York’s legislature are making a grave mistake in passing the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” which cleared the state senate on Monday after passing the state assembly in April. In both chambers, this was done over Republican opposition with some — but too few — Democrats defecting. The bill’s death warrant is limited to patients with a diagnosis that is believed incurable and less than six months to live. Experience from other jurisdictions shows that once the camel’s nose is in the tent, there will be pressure to expand that either in law or in sub rosa practice.
The bill will now go for signature to Governor Kathy Hochul. Hochul has yet to commit herself on the measure, and the self-identified Catholic has been publicly urged by Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the New York bishops not to sign it. We do not have much faith in Hochul’s record of bucking her party, but we are hesitant to diagnose her as incurable. She should use her veto pen.
The Democrats who control New York’s legislature are making a grave mistake in passing the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” which cleared the state senate on Monday after passing the state assembly in April. In both chambers, this was done over Republican opposition with some — but too few — Democrats defecting. The bill’s death warrant is limited to patients with a diagnosis that is believed incurable and less than six months to live. Experience from other jurisdictions shows that once the camel’s nose is in the tent, there will be pressure to expand that either in law or in sub rosa practice.
The bill will now go for signature to Governor Kathy Hochul. Hochul has yet to commit herself on the measure, and the self-identified Catholic has been publicly urged by Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the New York bishops not to sign it. We do not have much faith in Hochul’s record of bucking her party, but we are hesitant to diagnose her as incurable. She should use her veto pen.