WASHINGTON (AP & WTIC) - The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years - a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court's landmark abortion cases.
Friday's outcome overturning Roe v. Wade is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.
The decision, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court that has been fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump.
The ruling came more than a month after the stunning leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to take this momentous step.
Several Connecticut officials put out written statements reacting to the decision.
"Every American should have the right to decide whether and when to have children. Politicians do not know better than women what kind of care they need from their physicians. The government should never be allowed to dictate decisions about pregnancy that should remain between a woman and her doctor. The government should not be able to impose a forced pregnancy on anyone – especially a pregnancy that is the result of abuse or rape or threatens their life," U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said.
"This decision will cause confusion, pain, and division across our country and will do so disproportionally for low income women whose health care options are already limited. Democrats in the General Assembly anticipated this upending of legal precedent and enacted additional safeguards for reproductive health care in our state this year, including protection against litigation from residents of other states." Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) said.
"Now that the Supreme Court has put an end to safe, legal abortions as a right in our country, Connecticut is dependent on having lawmakers and a Governor who will defend that right. We are no longer dealing with a theoretical threat to abortion access. Every local election will determine our access to that right," Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said.
Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica (R-East Lyme) released a joint statement: “The Supreme Court's decision does not change a woman's right to choose in the state of Connecticut, nor will it. In Connecticut, the protections in Roe v. Wade were codified in state law in 1990. Over the years Connecticut has been joined by many other states in enacting similar protections, and the right to choose is broadly protected across New England. The Supreme Court decision does not and will not change the Connecticut laws that have embedded these protections in state law.”
The Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference put out a statement: "We welcome this historic reversal, which affirms the right to life of an unborn child and we pledge to do all that is possible to support pregnant women who face serious challenges... Our parishes and our social programs must be prepared to meet the increasing needs for pro-life pregnancy resource centers and supports for women raising children."
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