The New York State Senate recently passed the Medical Aid in Dying Bill (MAID) otherwise known as government assisted suicide. The State Assembly had already passed the legislation.
The next step is either veto or signing by Governor Kathy Hochul. It is unclear whether she will sign it, but insiders say it is unlikely the Democrat controlled legislature would have passed it without conversation with Hochul’s office and some assurance she was going to sign it.
New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerard Kassar urged Governor Hochul to veto this “dangerous legislation”. This legislation is a slippery slope. Kassar said this might be the worst legislation of its kind in the nation. There is no waiting period or psychological evaluation required.”
The Conservative Party issued a scathing rebuke of the State Senate's passage of assisted suicide legislation, calling the move “a moral and political disgrace that cheapens life and endangers the most vulnerable among us.” Kassar warns that it opens the door to coercion, abuse, and a culture of hopelessness masquerading as compassion.
“This legislation is not about dignity—it’s about surrender,” said Kassar. “Instead of investing in pain management, mental health services, and real palliative care, the Democrat-led Senate wants to offer death as a substitute for support. It’s appalling.”
Although 11 states have some sort of law allowing terminally ill people to end their lives after consulting with at least one doctor, MAID is controversial and not just on religious grounds. Concerns about an ever-widening list of so-called terminal diseases is a serious issue. In one state, eating disorders can qualify for MAID. There is also concern over pressure and coercion on patients for financial reasons, lack of family support, or family pressure due to care giving and expense burdens.
Dennis Proust of the New York Catholic Conference said, "We're saying as a society 'sometimes suicide is OK.' That's a terrible message for our youth. It's a terrible message for everyone."
The Conservative Party underscored its longstanding opposition to assisted suicide and noted that many disability rights groups, religious leaders, and bioethicists across ideological lines also oppose such laws. “This isn’t a left vs. right issue—it’s right vs. wrong,” Kassar added.
Though controversial and fraught with ethical issues, MAID is widely popular in some form across NY. As many as 65%, and higher in some polls, support MAID.
Kassar condemned the measure as an abandonment of New York’s moral responsibility to protect those facing terminal illness, aging, or depression—not pressure them toward an irreversible end. He also cited the experience of other jurisdictions where so-called ‘safeguards’ have gradually eroded, leading to a troubling expansion of eligibility and abuses of the law.
“The so-called ‘right to die’ becomes a duty to die when insurance companies realize it’s cheaper than treatment, or when an overwhelmed caregiver sees no alternative,” Kassar warned. “There is nothing progressive about normalizing suicide. Governor Hochul has a chance to stop this madness and draw a line for decency and life. We urge her in the strongest possible terms: veto this bill.”