HARTFORD, Conn. — State lawmakers are pushing for an amendment to the Connecticut constitution to establish “environmental rights.”
They hope rights like clean water, air and a safe climate will be protected on the same level as other freedoms, such as speech and religion.
“We collect trash on the beach more often than we find seashells,” explained third-grader Nora Romeo. She says climate change is shaping her childhood.
“My brother and I have tried to do our part in healing our planet, but it feels lonely when you can only make a small difference,” Romeo said.
That’s why she wants state lawmakers to step up.
“By the time we are old enough to sit where you are, it will be too late,” she continued. “We are looking to you to take action now and take this first step in leading everyone in Connecticut to work together to make a better environment for us and future generations.”
Friday, Romeo spoke with legislators about a new constitutional amendment… to establish protections for environmental rights.
“Everyone who lives here in the state of Connecticut has an inalienable right to live in a clean, healthy, safe environment,” said state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, co-chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, which is considering this bill. “These rights belong to the people. They belong in our state constitution, and we need to protect them.”
Advocates say this measure would ensure each person has an individual right to clean and healthy air, water, soil, ecosystems and environment, and a safe and stable climate.
“This is just ensuring that this right to environmental safety and health and a stable climate, that this right is balanced against all those other rights because it doesn't currently exist in the constitution, so it's not being balanced at this point,” Blumenthal added.
Proponents also say this isn’t a new idea — there are currently three states that recognize environmental rights in their constitutions: Montana, Pennsylvania and New York. Nine other states have proposed similar such ‘green amendments.’
Since this is a bill for a constitutional amendment, it would need to pass the House and Senate with a 75% majority this session. If that happens, then the decision would go to the voters in the form of a ballot question in this November’s general election.
This process to amend the state constitution is long and there is not broad bipartisan support for this measure.
“By promoting this flimsy ideological proposal, Majority Democrats, and particularly the leadership of this committee, continue to show just how out of touch they are with the mainstream concerns of Connecticut residents,” said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora. “Citizens deserve to live in a state with stable finances — an issue that affects every fabric of everyday life here—yet this committee wouldn’t even hold a public hearing on legislation to enshrine our state’s fiscal guardrails in the state constitution. Democrats on this committee should leave their colleagues on the Environment Committee to promote their party’s climate agenda and instead focus their attention on bolstering the integrity of our election system by strengthening penalties for people who commit ballot fraud.”
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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