Sept. 7 — The New York Court of Appeals released its decision today in the case of Myers v. Schneiderman, in which the plaintiffs sought to establish a ‘right’ to physician-assisted suicide under the Constitution of the State of New York.  In a unanimous 5-0 decision, the Court of Appeals rejected the claims of the plaintiffs, affirming that the New York State’s existing laws against physician-assisted suicide are constitutional.

We congratulate the New York State Court of Appeals and concur with its decision, upholding the respect for the Constitution of the State of New York, upholding the role of the Legislature as policy maker, and recognizing that New York State “has a significant interest in preserving life and preventing suicide, a serious public health problem.”

Although this decision means that there is no right to suicide in the New York State Constitution, this does not mean that assisted suicide cannot be passed legislatively.  New York State Right to Life will continue to fight any attempt to pass such legislation.  New York must protect and defend the lives of people living with terminal illnesses and disabilities and create options that value and celebrate every life.

Although assisting suicide is only legal for a small fraction of the world’s population, advocates are focused on promoting this dangerous legislation in New York. The NY Assembly Health Committee voted to move forward with the legislation yesterday.

A.10059 and the companion bill S.7579 have gotten traction under the false notion that assisted suicide will be providing terminally ill people with merely one more “option.” However, this is far from the truth. This deceptively titled “Medical Aid in Dying Act” is riddled with dangerous problems that seek to destroy existing protections for the vulnerable.

Most legislators have never considered legislation like this, and they need to know that New York does not want to destroy existing protection for those facing a difficult diagnosis.

It is urgent that you make contact with your Assemblymember now and urge them to oppose assisted suicide bills A10059/S7579.

AD 96 — Kenneth Zebrowski  518-455-5735, ZebrowskiK@assembly.state.ny.us
(Clarkstown & Haverstraw, part of Ramapo)

AD 97 — Ellen Jaffee  518-455-5118, JaffeeE@assembly.state.ny.us
(Orangetown, part of Ramapo)

AD 98 — Karl Brabenec  518-455-5991, brabeneck@assembly.state.ny.us
(Ramapo)

AD 99 — James Skoufis 518-455-5441, SkoufisJ@assembly.state.ny.us
(Stony Point)

The assisted suicide legislation’s language purports to establish “safeguards” around assisted suicide and restrict it to the terminally ill and the competent. However, these kinds of assisted suicide proposals are opposed by medical groups (including the Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Medical Association) and many in the disability rights community. Safeguards simply do not work:

• There is no protection for those seeking assisted suicide because they suffer from treatable depression or any other mental health issue
• Predictions that someone will die in six months are often wrong
• Abuse of elders and people with disabilities is a growing but often undetected problem
• If assisted suicide is legalized, it will quickly become the cheapest alternative to medical treatment
• There is no residency requirement: New York is already home to the abortion capital of the nation, it need not become a suicide destination as well

Albany, NY – With very little notice and few specific details, the Assembly Health Committee scheduled a vote on a bill to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide for the terminally ill today and approved the measure by a 14-11 vote. Now the bill moves on to the Codes Committee.

Assemblyperson Ellen Jaffee of Rockland, a member of the Health Committee, voted to approve the measure (A-10059).

The New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide noted that the measure passed by only three votes.

“Thankfully, many members of the Health Committee have demonstrated their grave concern for vulnerable New Yorkers who may be harmed by this dangerous public policy, or worse yet, whose autonomy will be compromised and who will feel as though the healthcare system gives them no choice but to kill themselves,” said JJ Hanson, president of the Patients’ Rights Action Fund.

Read “Aid in dying bill passes Assembly Health Committee” (Times Union).

From Ed Mechman, Esq., Director of Public Policy for the Archdiocese of New York:

Yesterday, there was an important victory in the courts. The Appellate Division in Manhattan (our intermediate appeals court) ruled that New York’s laws against assisted suicide did not violate the NYS Constitution, and were thus valid and enforceable.

The court found that despite the advocates’ attempt to change terminology to such things as “aid in dying”, the reality is that suicide is suicide, and the law makes that perfectly plain. The court also ruled that it was perfectly reasonable for the law to distinguish between suicide and declining medical treatments.

This is a major decision. Although the suicide advocates may appeal it to our Court of Appeals, it will strengthen our arguments to legislators that this debate is all about suicide, and nothing else.

Thanks be to God for a wise court!

Daily News: Court ruling doesn’t allow doctor-assisted suicides in New York State

Assisted suicide continues to be in the forefront of legislative issues being considered in Albany.  Some claim it is simply “medical assistance in dying” and not suicide.  But what is really at stake here?

Join us as we host Educational Evenings throughout the Archdiocese to learn the facts.  We will look at the actual legislation and all of its medical, legal and ethical implications.  Sponsored by the Family Life/Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of NY with main speaker, Ed Mechmann, Esq. Public Policy Director and Sr. Lucy Marie, Respect Life Coordinator.

Tuesday, March 15, 7:30-9 pm, at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church, 29 Cinder Road, Garnerville 10923. Please park in the gym parking lot.  

RSVP required to Sr.Lucy.Marie@ArchNY.org

As the work of the 2016 New York State Legislature begins, disability rights advocates came to Albany Tuesday to educate policymakers about the practical dangers inherent in bills to legalize assisted suicide. Read about it here.

A few op-ed articles compiled by Not Dead Yet, a disability rights group:

Stephanie Woodward: Why disabled people like me fear medically assisted suicide (syracuse.com, 11/6/15)

Stephen Drake: Don’t buy into ‘aid in dying’ (Democrat and Chronicle, 10/30/15)

Lindsay Baran & Anne Sommers: Doctor-prescribed suicide is never the answer (Washington Examiner, 10/19/15)

From New York State Right to Life:

Although the New York State legislative session came to a close without a vote on assisted suicide legislation, the threat is far from over. When a bill does not come up for a vote it is not by luck: concerned citizens communicating with legislators, grassroots mobilization, and lobbying are essential.

NYS Right to Life worked actively to oppose this legislation: we ran radio ads in key districts, our Lobby for Life Day featured a speaker addressing the dangers of assisted suicide, we alerted grassroots supporters far and wide, and hired extra staff to be at the Capitol during the crucial final weeks of the legislative session.

Thank you for responding to our alerts and contacting your representatives. Your calls, emails, letters, and sounding the alarm via social media made a difference. The vulnerable whose lives are at stake cannot afford for us to be silent: thank you for standing up and making your voice heard!

The bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide in New York is back.

We breathed a sigh of relief when its sponsor withdrew it a month ago, but now — here it is again, with a new sponsor, Republican Senator John Bonacic, who is from the Middletown area. And its supporters are planning to slip it through in the flurry of legislation that gets taken up in the last days of the session.

They actually have three days to accomplish this. The session ends June 17.

Hastened death is an unnecessary act of harm fraught with dangers. Please check out this message from  New York State Right to Life about how this bill targets people at their most vulnerable time.

Right now, the Senate is adjourned and will reconvene on Monday, June 15. Please call today or Monday or send an email message over the weekend to your state senator and ask him to stand firm against this bill which asks our doctors to kill. Vote NO on bill S-5814.

Senator Bill Larkin (Haverstraw & Stony Point)
Phone: (518) 455-2770
Or click here to send email

Senator David Carlucci (rest of Rockland)
Phone: 518-455-2991
Or click here to send email