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If one thing is for certain, it’s that nothing ever is. Especially in New York.

One month into the 2022 legislative session and Catholics are already anxious about what changes this session will bring, particularly under a new governor, Kathy Hochul, and with new approaches to living with COVID-19.

Dennis Poust, executive director for the New York State Catholic Conference (NYSCC), the working arm for the state’s bishops on public policy issues, noted that while “we lost a few things” in 2021, overall “the last session was a pretty good session.”

Last year, New Yorkers saw then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo legalize the possession and sale of recreational marijuana as well as the start of online sports betting, two issues opposed by the Catholic Conference.

The year also brought good news: The HALT Solitary Confinement Act (S2836) that dramatically reduces the use of solitary confinement in state prisons, and Nourish New York (S4892A/A5781A), a bill to make COVID-related programs addressing food insecurity permanent, were both signed into law.

Notably, the physician-assisted suicide bill (A04321) that the NYSCC has been fighting since its introduction in 2016, failed to get a vote in any committee in either house of the legislature.

TOP ISSUES
Going forward, fighting physician-assisted suicide is still the top priority the Catholic Conference is facing, Poust said. Educating both the legislatures and laypeople on the issue will be key.

“If you look at polling, it’s not on our side,” Poust said, “but I think the pandemic became a reminder of how precious life is and the value and dignity of elderly people.”

Poust added that “much of what drives people to support assisted suicide laws is fear of pain and fear of being kept alive artificially while suffering.” But advances in hospice and palliative care have helped counteract this pain and provide comfort.

“The bad news is New York lags way behind most of the rest of the country in access to hospice,” he said. “So a big part of our advocacy is urging lawmakers to support legislation to increase access to hospice for New Yorkers.”

State Senator Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat who represents the 46th Senate district which includes portions of the Diocese of Albany and the Archdiocese of New York, has introduced a pair of bills designed to do just that: Bills S8205 and S8206 were introduced earlier this month and advocate for awareness and resources for hospice and palliative care services in the state.

Fortunately, “there’s not a lot of talk about it” at the current time, Poust said. In an interview last month, Hochul dodged taking a position on the issue, noting that she’ll defer to the legislature on it. It’s a step up from where the issue fell in the last session.

“Her predecessor said, ‘If a bill comes across my desk, I’ll sign it,’ ” Poust said. “She has not gone that far, so that’s a hopeful thing. That’s progress.”
NYSSC also hopes to prevent a recent proposal to allow the composting of human remains. The legislation (A00382) advanced in both houses for the first time last year but failed to receive a floor vote in either house.

“We feel it’s not a reverential treatment of the human body,” Poust said. “Even though there’s no life or soul left in a body, it’s not human waste … And it’s an evolving thing because there’s not a lot of Church theology behind it because it’s so new, but it’s that ‘ick’ factor.”

2022 BUDGET
On Jan. 18, Hochul released a $216.3 billion budget proposal that is hopeful of boosting the state’s recovery. The new governor finds herself in a good position for her first budget: the state is flush with cash from federal COVID relief initiatives and tax revenues that were higher than forecasted.

For Catholic schools across the Diocese, it’s expected to be a big help: “There was a lot of good news in it for us,” Poust said.

The governor’s proposal calls to triple funding for health, safety and security projects in non-public schools from $15 million to $45 million, and raise support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers from $40 million to $55 million.

“All of our schools have capital needs that are related to student and teacher safety,” Poust said. “Things like a new roof, air filtration system, new windows; not new construction but fixing the physical plan of the building.

“There’s such a need out there, so that’s a big win for us. That was our primary budget ask and we’re really grateful to Gov. Hochul for including that.”

The new budget also brings a 5.4 percent cost-of-living adjustment for human-services workers, much-needed aid for agencies like Catholic Charities.

“The Catholic Charities agencies are happy to see that,” Poust said. Gov. Hochul “is rightly taking care of front-line workers who are providing critical services … and working with vulnerable populations all across the board. It’s a critical need and we’re glad she’s addressing it.”

To get involved or receive the latest updates from the Capitol, sign up for the Catholic Action Network (CAN) to obtain educational updates on important issues being debated and receive simple tools to contact elected officials. Text CAN to 50457 to sign up for text alerts right to your phone or register online at https://www.nyscatholic.org/action-center.

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