Attorney General Maura Healey Thursday staked out new positions on two statewide issues: coming out in favor of physician-assisted dying and endorsing sports betting, which she’d previously opposed.
Healey was firm in her conviction that the Legislature should set the rules governing each issue rather than leaving it to possibily less comprehensive court decisions.
In 2012, Massachusetts voters rejected a “right to die” ballot question.
But in March of this year, the state Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments regarding a case involving two Massachusetts doctors asking the state to allow physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wanted to take lethal medication. When asked about the case at the time, Healey said state law would require prosecution of a doctor who assisted in a suicide, but said it should be up to the Legislature rather than the courts to make a final determination.
Thursday, in response to a question by Jim Braude on Boston Public Radio as to whether she supports Massachusetts joining other states that have legalized physician-assisted dying, Healey replied, “I think I am.”
“I'm certainly open to working with the medical community, patient advisory and advocacy groups and partners in government to consider any changes to state law,” Healey said. “I just don't think that ... this is the kind of thing that any judge or court can sort of appropriately figure out the parameters of and what the policy needs to be.”
Despite voicing support, the Attorney General still entertained questions about the issue. “‘What are the safeguards?’” Healey asked. “You always want to make sure that people aren’t abused or exploited in the process. There are all these things that you got to sort of work through, but I’m confident like anything else, that’s something that can be worked through here in Massachusetts.”
Healey also voiced newfound support for sports betting, which is illegal in Massachusetts but legal in 30 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The issue has been debated for years: Gov. Charlie Baker and the state House of Representatives approve of sports betting, but no legislation on the topic has passed in the state Senate.
The Boston Globe reported last week that neither Healey nor State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, Healey’s main Democratic competitor in the governor’s race, would weigh in on the topic. On Boston Public Radio Thursday, in response to a question asking if she supported sports betting, Healey replied, “I do.”
It’s another issue Healey believes is best left to the Legislature, but the Attorney General recognized that she has changed opinion on the topic in recent years.
“I came from a place where I opposed gambling,” she said. “I was always concerned about addiction, gambling addiction. I was concerned about exploitation.”
Healey said she came around after the practice became widespread in many states. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban in 2018.
“It's here,” she said. “Sports betting, it is the way now, and I’m confident the Legislature will work something out.”
