January 28, 2019: The 2019 campaign to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act in New York opened today with a press conference at the state Capitol led by Compassion & Choices New York Campaign Director Corinne Carey.
Also speaking at the news conference in the New York State Capitol were the lead sponsors of the bill (A.2694) — Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) — as well as Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) and Senate Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx). They were joined by other notable speakers and by supporters from around the state — including a strong contingent from Death with Dignity–Albany.
The campaign will include visits by volunteer supporters to legislators throughout the Spring, and Death with Dignity–Albany will be organizing special lobbying days for its members.
Importantly, Compassion & Choices released the results of a poll showing that more than two-thirds of New York physicians support the proposed legislation. The survey was conducted by WebMD/Medscape, and it is the first valid survey of New York doctors’ views regarding the general concept of medical aid in dying and of the specific legislation proposed for New York. Dr. Robert Morrow, representing the NYS Academy of Family Physicians, said that his group voted in 2017 to support the legislation because “patients should have the freedom to make end-of-life decisions according to their own values.”
A full account of the news conference is available at compassionandchoices.org/news/ny-doctors-support-medical-aid-in-dying-56-26-percent-support-ny-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-67-20-percent/ A full copy of the survey report is available at www.compassionandchoices.org/new-york-physicians-support-medical-aid-in-dying/