Submitted by Glen A Canner, Attorney At Law, Old Greenwich
At recent Greenwich LWV Candidate Debate State Representative candidates were asked:
“Would you be supportive of codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose in Connecticut’s Constitution should Roe v. Wade be in jeopardy under a new Supreme Court?”
Republican candidates declined to answer asserting
“Connecticut is already one of just a handful of states that does have state constitutional protections for the woman’s reproductive rights – it’s enshrined already in our state constitution – so I’m not sure why the question is asked.”
and
“I was informed that Roe v. Wade is protected in the Connecticut State Constitution.”
These statements are false.
In 1990 the Connecticut General Assembly passed Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-602 which protects a woman’s right to terminate pregnancy prior to viability.
Statutes can be repealed or amended by a simple majority of Connecticut State Senators and State Representatives.
If Roe v. Wade were overturned abortion issues would return to the states.
It could happen during the next session of the Connecticut General Assembly
Connecticut State Senate and State Representative candidates should be required to answer questions on this issue including but not limited to:
(i) If Roe v. Wade were overturned would you preserve Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-602 which protects a woman’s right to terminate pregnancy prior to viability?
The public has a right to know the position of candidates for State Senate and State Representative on this important issue.