New York Governor Kathy Hochul Must Veto Dangerous Assisted Suicide Bill

New York lawmakers pushed the so-called and unfortunately named Medical Aid in Dying Act through the legislature earlier this year at a rapid pace that should concern anyone who values human dignity. The Assembly approved it in April, the Senate followed in June, and the bill was sent to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk amid intense pressure from activists who see lethal drugs as medical solutions. 

ACTION ALERT: Tell Governor Kathy Hochul to veto the dangerous assisted suicide bill.

She has held onto the bill for months, listening to supporters, critics, doctors, disability advocates, clergy, and families. Yet, she has not signed it. This hesitation reveals more about the legislation than any press release from its sponsors.

The bill claims to provide relief for people with terminal diagnoses, but the fine print removes the safeguards required by genuine medical ethics. It grants physicians the authority to declare someone eligible if they believe the patient has six months to live. Prognoses are often mistaken, yet this bill treats those predictions as certainty. 

It permits a lethal prescription without a mandatory mental health assessment. It risks placing quiet pressure on individuals already struggling with fear, depression, financial hardship, or feelings of being burdensome. Instead of offering them the care, presence, and comfort they deserve, the state offers a cup of poison.

Governor Hochul recognizes the seriousness of this decision. She has very recently suggested possible amendments to tighten the law, aware of its flaws. She understands the bill lacks the robust protections needed to shield the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Her instincts warn her that something remains deeply wrong. She has seen vigils outside her offices and heard stories from disability communities about how coercion can quietly take hold. She has been presented with the heartbreaking accounts from countries that legalized assisted suicide and saw how the practice can slip into darker territory.

Canada’s experience serves as a stark warning, exemplified by the death of Alan Nichols. He struggled with mental health issues and was hospitalized during a crisis. Despite not having a terminal illness, doctors approved his euthanasia request, citing “hearing loss” as justification. 

His family begged for intervention, but no one responded. He died because a system that treats death as a therapeutic option was in place. That system now provides euthanasia to those who cannot afford housing, veterans suffering PTSD, and people with disabilities seeking help. Still, instead of the assistance required, they receive an application asking to be euthanized. When a government begins to regard death as a form of care, vulnerable populations lose essential protections.

New York is now closer than ever to repeating that tragedy. The bill on Governor Hochul’s desk brings the same cold logic into our hospitals and homes. It suggests that those suffering are a drain on resources, encouraging doctors to see quick deaths as relief rather than failures in support. The Governor is aware of the danger, and so are New Yorkers.

This moment demands courage. New Yorkers must contact Governor Hochul and urge her to trust her instincts. Tell her to veto this bill. Encourage her to stand up for those on the brink of despair. Remind her that true compassion is shown through presence, care, and love—not a state-approved recipe for death. Her decision will influence how this state values human life. She must hear from every voice that believes life still matters.

Governor Hochul’s office may be reached at 1-518-474-8390.

LifeNews.com Note: Raimundo Rojas is the Outreach Director for the National Right to Life Committee. He is a former president of Florida Right to Life and has presented the pro-life message to millions in Spanish-language media outlets. He represents NRLC at the United Nations as an NGO. Rojas was born in Santiago de las Vegas, Havana, Cuba and he and his family escaped to the United States in 1968.

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