In a move alarming to pro-life advocates and religious leaders, New York Democrats appear poised to legalize euthanasia, or “physician-assisted suicide.”
New York is on track to become the latest Democrat-controlled state to greenlight what critics call “state-sanctioned death.”
According to the New York Post, a vote on the bill could come as early as Monday.
Top Democrats are signaling strong support for the slippery slope measure.
The bill would allow terminally ill patients — defined as having six months or less to live — to request and receive lethal prescriptions to end their own lives.
“I do believe there are the votes, and it is likely it will come to the floor,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Stewart-Cousins confirmed that the Democrat supermajority is prepared to usher the legislation through both chambers of the state legislature.
The bill would then head to Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul to be signed into state law.
Hochul has not publicly opposed the measure.
Supporters of the bill, such as State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, claim the law is about “compassion,” “choice,” and “dignity.”
They insist that allowing the state-sanctioned euthanasia of citizens would offer New Yorkers “autonomy” at the end of life.
But pro-life organizations and faith-based groups are pushing back hard.
They are warning that the bill sends a chilling message about the value of human life.
Such laws suggest that the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill are a burden that should be eliminated.
In a statement, Bob Bellafiore, spokesperson for the New York State Catholic Conference, one of the strongest opponents of the legislation, said:
“Handing sick people a suicide cocktail is not compassion, nor is it healthcare.
“We know many Democratic senators have very deep reservations about this bill, and they should be allowed to vote their conscience instead of toeing a party line.”
Critics point to a dangerous precedent: that once the state normalizes suicide for the terminally ill, it’s a short step toward pressuring vulnerable individuals, especially the poor and those with disabilities, to “choose” death over the high costs of care or the burden they feel they impose on others.
The legislation mirrors similar laws in 11 other states and Washington, D.C., including most recently Delaware, which legalized the practice just last month.
If passed, New York would become the largest and most influential blue state to embrace the controversial policy.
Proponents are framing the bill as a “progressive” milestone.
However, for those who believe in the sanctity of life, it’s a deeply troubling sign of where our culture is headed: a society where convenience trumps compassion, and death is marketed as dignity.
As Monday’s vote looms, religious leaders, ethicists, medical professionals, and pro-life advocates across the state are urging lawmakers, especially those with lingering doubts, to stand for life, not legislate death.
READ MORE – Canada Moves to Begin Euthanizing Children Without Parental Consent
