HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut legislature is considering a proposed amendment to the state constitution to clarify protections from discrimination.
Supporters say this measure simply strengthens Connecticut’s right to privacy, but those opposed are concerned this proposal would open the door to issues in areas like abortion and women’s sports.
“This is focused on the much broader question of right to privacy,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney. “We're not creating any new rights at all.”
The measure would add to the state’s equal protection clause, clarifying that it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex, including discrimination based on preventing, initiating, continuing or terminating a pregnancy, as well as sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and related health care.
“If the right to privacy is extinguished, if the Supreme Court says there's no such thing as an inherent right to privacy, then the government can regulate in other areas without inhibition,” Looney continued.
Those in support say it is necessary to protect privacy in Connecticut, but hundreds submitted testimony against this proposal.
“This is an egregious abuse of women, egregious,” co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) Kim Jones said. “We don't allow adults to compete against children. We don't allow doped athletes to compete against clean athletes. We don't allow men to compete against women.”
Jones said this bill would harm women and prevent them from being protected based on their sex.
“As soon as you say you have to be able to recognize someone's gender identity at the same value of sex, what you are saying is that you've got a conflict and you're going to recognize that a male, his beliefs, his sense of self, is allowed to supersede or be equated to the value of the rights of a woman based on her sex,” she added.
There are also concerns about the “pregnancy” part of this language, with opponents saying this would allow for late-term abortions in Connecticut, but Democrat leadership disagrees.
“It is a fundamental protection that people have relied upon in various contexts since 1965,” said Looney. “We already have a statute that protects abortion rights in the state because we put into statute back in 1990, the language of Roe versus Wade and we still believe that reflects the will of the people of Connecticut, but we're talking about a far more aggressive attack on privacy rights now than anything just related to Roe versus Wade or the abortion issue, per se.”
If passed, the legislation would not immediately change the constitution. It would allow for an amendment question to be added to the ballot in the upcoming November election, where voters would then decide whether or not to add this proposed amendment to the state’s constitution.
To pass the legislature this session, this bill needs a 75% majority approval in both the House and Senate.
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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