Advocates pushing to legalize medically assisted suicide in New York for terminally ill adults question why Democrats campaigning on reproductive choice this cycle have been slow to act on the proposal in Albany.
Abortion and reproductive health care have been a focal point in state and national elections since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Democrats have worked to appeal to voters by making bodily autonomy a focal point of their camapaign messaging ever since.
State lawmakers have discussed a bill known as Medical Aid in Dying that would allow terminally ill, mentally capable adults who have been given six months or fewer to live to take their own lives with a cocktail of pharmaceutical drugs.
Corinne Carey, Compassion & Choices Action Network's campaign director for New York and New Jersey, heard many speeches about choice at this summer's Democratic National Convention, but said the talk falls short.
"I heard speaker after speaker talking about freedom and bodily autonomy, and it occurred to me that this is one area that some of those champions don't touch at all," Carey said. "It's a real struggle."
The Compassion & Choices Action Network distributed a survey to New York candidates over the last several weeks to see if they'd support Medical Aid in Dying or expanding options for end-of-life care.
Several responses returned to the organization requested more information about the proposal.
"That's good for us to know that, when the legislative session starts, we know where we have to do some work," Carey said.
There's bipartisan support for the measure, but several Democratic lawmakers in Albany are hesitant to sign onto the bill.
Several lawmakers signed on to support the measure this session, but ran out of time. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins support Medical Aid in Dying, but did not bring it to the floor because of concerns it didn't have the votes.
Carey questions how Democrats can stand up for bodily autonomy during pregnancy, but not end-of-life care.
Some lawmakers have refused to speak to advocates about the topic for years amid pushback from the disabled community. People living with disabilities are concerned about coercion and abuse if assisted suicide becomes legal.
Ericka Glick was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. The 38-year-old from Rochester says there aren't enough safeguards that will protect New Yorkers against abuse from for-profit health care systems.
"People don't understand that it comes down to, nine times out of 10, 'I wouldn't want to live like that,' you're saying you don't want to live like me," Glick told Spectrum News 1. "You don't want to live whether you've become disabled through an accident, or you have some kind of illness that has made your life in your eyes less worthy."
Glick worries legalizing physician-assisted suicide will make it more likely for people with chronic conditions and disabilities to decide their life isn't worth living. She argues the state should instead bolster mental health solutions and palliative care so people can have the support they need to live with an illness.
"I don't think this is necessarily a party issue — this is a human issue," Glick said. "What it comes down to is, how much do you value life?"
Sponsor Assembly Health Committee chair Amy Paulin was unavailable to be interviewed, but said the legislation remains one of her top priorities next session. The bill is expected to be reintroduced with small changes related to placement of the patient's signature on required paperwork.
Eleven U.S. states have legalized physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults.