Statement From Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay On Signing Of Doctor-Assisted Suicide 

   “It is deeply troubling that Gov. Hochul has signed the doctor-assisted suicide bill into law. As I have said before, the purpose of health care is to preserve life and to provide the utmost comfort and care to patients who are at the end of their lives. This decision puts our most vulnerable communities at risk and makes clear the state has little regard for the value of human life.

     Instead of strengthening palliative care, expanding mental health support or improving access to end-of-life resources, New York Democrats chose the quickest and most troubling option: facilitating death rather than safeguarding life.

Not only does this law represent a profound moral failing, but it also lacks crucial safeguards—the protections do not go far enough to ensure those struggling with depression, financial hardship or untreated pain aren’t steered toward suicide rather than supported with effective care and support. Additionally, the law fails to include requirements for the safe storage of this lethal medication, leaving it vulnerable to misuse or getting into the wrong hands.”