Brian Laird on WNYC, and for the ninth year in a row, a group is lobbying for the New York

State Legislature to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which would allow physicians

to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill adults. In previous years, the legislature has

declined to take up a vote on the bill, but there seems to be more momentum for it this year

before the legislature adjourns for the year next month, both the New York

State Bar Association and the Medical Society for the state of New York, that's the big

medical group that represents around 20,000 doctors, have announced their support for it

just in the last few months. If it passes, New York would become the 11th state to allow for medical

aid and dying. As many are aware, it's been legal in Oregon for 25 years. Closer to home,

Vermont passed a similar bill in 2013 and New Jersey in 2019. It's looking more likely than ever

that the legislature might vote on it before the session

ends next month. Here to take us through the bill and make their case are David Levin,

Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Consultant to the End of Life Choices, New York organization,

and Corinne Carey, senior campaign director for the group Compassion and

Choices.

David and Corinne, thanks very much for joining us.

Welcome to WNYC today.

Thank you for having us, Brian.

Thanks for having us.

And just to get some language straight at the beginning, Corinne, the publicist for your

organization wrote that they

implore us to not introduce the segment with the term assisted suicide or physician assisted

...