HARTFORD, Conn. (1010 WINS) -- Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed the strongest expansion of abortion protections for patients and providers in the country on Thursday after a leaked Supreme Court draft ruling revealed the court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that enshrined the right to abortion.
The Reproductive Freedom Defense Act aims to turn Connecticut into a refuge for people seeking abortions from other states and enhances legal protections for Connecticut abortion providers. It also allows a broader range of medical professionals to perform abortions.
“No politician is going to get between you and your doctor,” said Lamont as he signed the bill. “You make the choice.”
The governor said he “wanted to sign as soon as possible,” given the imminent ruling on Roe v. Wade.
Certain states already allow lawsuits against abortion providers from other states for providing abortions to residents of the state where abortion is banned. The new law allows Connecticut abortion providers to counter-sue in these instances in order to recoup legal fees and losses.
For example: Connecticut abortion providers can now counter-sue Texas in order to nullify any lawsuits against providers who performed an abortion on a patient from Texas.
The bill also safeguards the medical records of out-of-state abortion patients and prevents other states from subpoenaing Connecticut residents for crimes that are not illegal in Connecticut.
Finally, it allows advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants and nurse-midwives to perform first-trimester medicinal and aspiration abortions.
The bill passed the State House of Representatives on April 19 and the State Senate on April 29 — just days before the draft opinion was leaked to Politico.
“I am very appreciative to the majority of lawmakers in Connecticut who had the foresight to draft this legislation at a time when the right to a safe and legal abortion in America is in jeopardy,” said Lamont in a statement.
“I am proud to stand up for access to reproductive healthcare and reproductive freedom," he added. "As long as I am governor of this great state, we’ll never waiver on the right to choose, and the belief that medical decisions should be made between a patient and their doctor."
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