In an opinion piece published this morning, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signaled her intention to sign the assisted suicide legislation passed earlier this year. She, correctly, understood that the legislation was weak and would harm New Yorkers. Unfortunately, her proposed amendments do nothing to change the inherent discrimination in the bill. Assisted suicide policy is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and, with your help, we will continue to demonstrate this in federal court.
I am so proud of the New York coalition. They have worked tirelessly for over a decade to hold back this terrible policy. We were outspent at every turn, with assisted suicide proponents bombarding the capitol building every day of session for two years. Despite these tremendous odds, when the bill did pass, it was by a slim margin and faced strong bipartisan opposition. Comprised of disability rights activists, faith organizations, and medical professionals, the New York coalition conducted themselves honorably, bringing data, reason, and immense compassion to their work. Without them, this bill would have passed many years ago.
Today we are grieving the harm that will inevitably come to our most vulnerable neighbors, but we are not giving up. I'm sure you have been following our broader work with the lawsuits brought against California, Colorado, and most recently, Delaware, arguing that assisted suicide violates the ADA. This work will continue; there is a path forward to a society where pretending suicide is compassion is truly unthinkable. We are forging that path, with your help.
If you want to be part of the work, to prevent what just happened in New York from happening in other states, you can donate to our efforts here. (We have been offered an incredibly generous matching grant for up to $1,000,000 for new donations through the end of the year, so if you haven't given before, now would be the best time). Proponents will be emboldened by today's action, and we anticipate hard fights next year in several states. Will you join us in this work? If you haven't been an active part of coalitions before, maybe now is the time.
Whether you contribute financially, with your time, with your social media accounts, or by taking action when called upon to reach out to your legislators, you matter to this work and I am grateful for you.
Onward!
Jessica
Jessica Rodgers
Coalitions Director
Patients' Rights Action Fund | |
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PRAF is a leading national, non-partisan single-issue organization that protects the rights of patients, people with disabilities, older adults, and other historically underrepresented groups from deadly harm and discrimination inherent in assisted suicide laws. |
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