Continuing the Fight to Protect Reproductive Rights

January 23, 2024


On Monday, along with other Connecticut reproductive-rights champions, we commemorated the 51st anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which established a federal constitutional right to abortion. We also marked 18 months since the U.S. Supreme Court suddenly stripped individuals of this fundamental right in its radical Dobbs decision.

During the 18 months since Dobbs was handed down, we have been inundated with horrifying stories about its effects on women and families across our nation. In contrast, the state of Connecticut continues to uphold the principles of safe, legal, and protected abortion for its residents and those seeking care within our state. To do so, we have implemented strong, nation-leading legislative measures to safeguard both healthcare providers and patients.

We took action in 2023, passing legislation to license free-standing birthing centers, aiming to enhance accessibility to high-quality maternal health services. This legislative framework also introduced a doula certification program administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. 

We also passed several other new laws last year protecting reproductive rights in our state, including:

  • Protecting medical providers' licenses, privileges, and credentials from adverse actions taken by another state based on their participation in reproductive healthcare services legal in our state;
  • Allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control;
  • Increasing access to reproductive care by college students at public institutions of higher education;
  • Protecting the privacy of patient health data online.

All of that work builds on our leadership in 2022 when the Connecticut General Assembly successfully enacted the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act. It provided legal protection to medical providers, patients, and Connecticut residents from out-of-state legal attack.

This legislation expanded practitioners eligible to provide abortion care by authorizing certain properly qualified advanced practitioners to perform specific kinds of first-trimester abortions. Subsequently, at least 17 states, along with the District of Columbia, have adopted similar legal provisions. This legislation has reportedly reduced wait times for abortion care in our state even as the number of people traveling here for care has significantly increased.
Reproductive freedom and healthcare is vital to our society.
In my capacity as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Rights Caucus, I solemnly affirm that my colleagues and I will continue to fight to expand and protect access of the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare. Every person should have ready, safe, and affordable access to reproductive healthcare, regardless of where they live in our state, their economic circumstances, or whether they want to have a family — or not.