Culture of Death Advances With Euthanasia Legalization in Illinois and New York |
Within a single week, the governors of Illinois and New York both announced their support for physician-assisted suicide legislation.
In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, signed a bill legalizing the practice Dec. 12. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced Dec. 17 that she has reached an agreement with the state legislature and will sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act in January 2026.
With these developments, Illinois and New York join 11 other states and Washington, D.C., that have already authorized physician-assisted suicide.
Hochul explained her decision in a personal essay published shortly before her Wednesday press conference. She noted that bodily autonomy ultimately shaped her thinking about the bill: “I have come to this as a matter of individual choice that does not have to be about shortening life but rather about shortening death,”
Hochul, who identifies as Catholic, also framed her reasoning in theological terms, saying she reflected on what she has learned about God.
“I was taught that God is merciful and compassionate, and so must we be,” she wrote. “This includes permitting a merciful option to those facing the unimaginable and searching for comfort in their final months in this life.”
In her press release, Hochul emphasized the bill’s guardrails. Once signed, the law will allow “medical aid in dying” for terminally ill adults with less than........