NYC NOW - May 7, 2024: Midday News

Episode Date: May 7, 2024

A state judge removed the 'Equal Rights Amendment' from New York's November ballot on Tuesday, citing that the state legislature did not follow proper procedure when it first passed the amendment in 2022. The state attorney general's office is expected to appeal. Also, every couple of weeks, a group of activists in their 60s, 70s, and 80s gather in Albany to advocate for the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which would allow certain patients to end their lives under the care of their doctor. WNYC's Jon Campbell reports.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, May 7th. Here's the midday news from Lance Lucky. A state judge has removed the Equal Rights Amendment from New York's November ballot for now. Supreme Court Justice Daniel Doyle of the Rochester area issued his ruling today. The Republican judge found the Democrat-led state legislature didn't. follow the proper procedure when it first passed the amendment in 2022. The state attorney general's office is expected to appeal. The Equal Rights Amendment would expand New York's

constitutional protections against discrimination to include things like gender identity and reproductive health decisions, including abortion. Republicans sued to knock the measure off the November ballot when it's put before voters for approval. Supporters of the measure say they're confident the proposal will be upheld on appeal. Seventy-four now sunny in around 80 this afternoon, becoming mostly cloudy tonight with a chance of showers toward daybreak and those showers likely tomorrow morning with some sun later in the afternoon and again around 80. Stay close. There's more after the break. WNYC. On Dudley, WNIC and Michael Hill.

Every couple weeks, a group of activists in their 60s and 70s and even in their 80s gathered in Albany to fight for the right to die. Double Hid Macy's John Campbell met up with them at the state capital. David Pratt is holding a stack of stickers about the size of a coaster with a yellow rose on them. Ma'am, can we offer you a rose in support of medical aid and gang? It looks good on the black bed. It's a deep. All right, goodness. I like your enthusiasm.

We're standing at the underground entrance to the state capital. There's dozens of lawmakers and lobbyists whizzing by, and he's trying to stop as many of them as he can. In other words, it's not a good time for small talk. I've never understood why it's so windy in this hall. I don't know either. Sir, would you like a rose for your jacket? He's good at this.

He's giving out maybe 50 stickers. Hardly anybody is turning him down. I did sell used cars for a while. Not true. Did you actually? Oh, okay. He's a 79-year-old physician who used to work in public health. These days, he's part of a crew of activists

pushing what's known as the Medical Aid and Dying Act. It's a bill that would let patients choose to end their life by taking medication prescribed by their doctor. But they have to be of sound mind. and their doctor has to certify they have six months or less to live. My husband got brain cancer. That's Barbara Thomas, a 77-year-old from North of Albany. In 2012, her husband was suffering.

He was stuck in bed, couldn't roll over on his own. And he really wanted me to shoot him. She couldn't do that, obviously. After a 15-month struggle, the cancer finally killed him. I am now super committed to trying to get this law in New York State so that other people don't suffer the way that he did. Thomas and other supporters have spent the better part of a decade trying to convince Albany lawmakers to pass the bill. But this year, they've got a little momentum. The State Bar Association came out in favor of the measure in January.

And last month, it was the Medical Society, which represents doctors. What's left? Corinne Carey is with compassion and choices, a group pushing for bills like this across the nation. Lawmakers are looking at the polls, and voters are solidly behind this proposal. Who else do they need to hear from? The churches. The churches, most notably the Catholic Church, which is a huge opponent. Dennis Paust is executive director of the state.

Catholic Conference. For Catholics, right, our goal is not this life, it's the afterlife. The goal isn't to keep people alive at all costs. People are going to die. The question is, should doctors be poisoning patients to end their lives prematurely, or should they be helping them in their journey toward death? Then there's some advocates for the disabled, like Blaze Bryant with the New York Association on Independent Living. He fears the law will be used to push people into ending their life, particularly if they're disabled. That's the thing that we're really concerned about here, is being pressured into it by doctors or other family members

who just view the person as a burden. Similar laws are already on the books in 10 states and Washington, D.C. And supporters say there's no evidence of doctors pressuring their patients. That includes New Jersey, which authorized Aiden dying five years ago. So far, Governor Hockel hasn't taken a position on the New York bill, neither of the state's legislative leaders. Westchester Assembly member Amy Pollan is one of the bill's lead sponsors. She often mentions her sister who suffered a painful death from ovarian cancer. This is a choice that it's time New York understood.

It is the same kind of choice as abortion. At a rally earlier this year, the veteran lawmaker had a statement. message for the bill's opponents. I'm not leaving. If they want me to retire, I'm not leaving until this bill's done. There's about a month left in New York's legislative session. Supporters of the bill are hoping lawmakers put it to a vote before then. Opponents want to keep it bottled up, just like the last nine years. John Campbell, WNYC News.

Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WMYC. Be sure to catch us every week. day, three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this evening.