What is medical aid in dying, and why do New Yorkers want it?
Originally published in
Staten Island Advance
on
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For close to a decade, a growing blend of New York residents and lawmakers have pushed to make medical aid in dying — also known as M.A.i.D — legal in the state.
First introduced in the New York State Senate by former Staten Island Sen. Diane Savino, a Democrat, the Medical Aid in Dying Act has failed to advance in every two-year legislative session since 2015.
WHAT IS NEW YORK’S MEDICAL AID IN DYING ACT?
The Medical Aid in Dying Act, which counts Staten Island state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton as its co-prime sponsor, would allow mentally competent, terminally ill patients over the age of 18 the choice of self-administering prescribed life-ending medication.
WHAT DO STATEN ISLAND’S ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE STATE LEVEL THINK?
It’s unclear how Scarcella-Spanton’s political peers from Staten Island would vote for the legislation in Albany, and whether Gov. Kathy Hochul would actually sign the bill should it come across her desk.