Thanks for sticking with
us on the real story,
Connecticut's abortion
and birth control access.
In a post Roe versus Wade Ameria
has led a group of lawmakers
advocating at the state Capitol,
the Reproductive Rights Caucus.
Joining me now is Cochair
representative Matt Blumenthal.
Thank you so much for
being here with us today.
Thanks for having me, Emma.
Of course. Well, you've been a really
vocal advocate on the reproducte
Rights caucus in just a little
under a year since that Supreme
Court decision overturning Roe.
What have you heard from Connect
residents? Are people fearful? ?
Tell me a little bit about the constituent
conversations you've had since .
So people are understandably vey
concerned about the state of acs
to reproductive healthcare in
this state and across the count.
They're also proud to know that we've
taken leadership here in the Reproductive
Rights Caucus and in Connecticut
general to ensure that access is
available to everyone here in the state.
And we've done that by passing t
year the reproductive Freedom Defense
Act that essentially made Connecticut a
safe harbor for reproductive healthcare,
including safe, legal abortion,
and also protected our doctors,
nurses, individuals here in the
state and folks who come here fr
care from attack out of state.
This year,
we're focusing on initiatives to ensure
that that Healthcare is properly funded,
that we have funding for trainig
and other issues related to acc.
And we're also taking additional
measures to ensure that the full
spectrum of reproductive Healthe
is available to every person
here in the state of Connecticu.
Now, abortion access already
recognized and codified here in
Connecticut, so some might say,
is this work a little redundant?
Any response to that?
Why you're introducing all these things
to continue furthering that acc.
But we've seen that antichoice
activists across the country and
politicians have taken every possible
measure to interfere with individuals
access to reproductive healthca,
including abortion.
Not only in their own states,
but in states across the country
where it's legal.
And perhaps there's no better
example of that than the decisin
we recently saw come out of Texs
in the Federal District Court t.
And so we want to make sure that
we take every possible measure
to protect individuals here
in the state of Connecticut.
Not only who are providing
that care or assisting others,
but who are coming here for the care.
We want to make sure that they are protected,
that the infrastructure is
protected and funded,
and that that care is accessible
for people who come for it.
And with that myth of Prestone ruling,
we saw two federal judges,
one in Washington state,
as you said, the other one in T,
giving completely different
rulings on this abortion pill.
And earlier this week,
the 5th Circuit issued a decision saying
myth of prestone should be available,
but they went on to impose
some other restrictions.
As a lawyer and a lawmaker,
what are your thoughts on
the kind of back and forth
we're seeing from the courts?
Well, first of all, the most
important thing to emphasize is that.
Just as it was last week here in Connecticut,
myth Prestone is safe,
legal and accessible. And in fa,
it has been safely used by millions of
women here in the United Statesd
across the world since it was ft
approved by the FDA roughly 23 years ago.
It's safer than Tylenol,
most antibiotics and Viagra.
So there's really no scientific basis
to doubt its safety or its effiy
and because of that, Washington.
Decision which happened as a ret
of our Attorney General William Tong,
suing proactively with a number
of other state attorney general.
All that care the medication abortion pills,
including methopra stone are
protected here and accessible he
in the state of Connecticut.
But looking to that Texas decis,
we are seeing unparalleled,
unprecedented and outrageous
judicial activism this is.
Quite frankly,
an abuse of judicial power that
we have seen seldom, if ever,
in the United States.
And the legal framework for that
decision literally makes no sen.
It ignores the law.
It ignores the science,
ignores the facts and and this
judge is simply substituted hisn
personal opinions for the reaso,
scientific and rigorous judgmen.
Of the FDA,
which is widely recognized as te
gold standard in drug approval,
no. Obviously this case is about
mifepris stone and a lot of controversy
here because this is a big topi.
But is there any concern with
these rulings as this moves
through that this could potentiy
impact other FDA approved drugs?
There is, and that's why more tn
600 biotech executives and comps
have written a letter urging the
swift overturning of this decis.
And another 100 or so biotech leaders
and important companies have submitted
an amicus brief in the 5th Circ,
and I'm sure they will in
the Supreme Court as well,
essentially saying that this wod
shatter the FDA's Gold standard review.
It would cause havoc and chaos.
And turmoil.
It would completely rewrite
the rules around drug approval
here in the United States.
It would cause problems and danr
for patients and doctors and ot.
They are really worried that ths
decision could be applied to any drug.
And by its own logic, it could.
So talking specifically about abortion,
whether through medication or a procedure,
it's heavily protected in Connecticut
like we already mentioned.
But even some who support abortn
access have expressed concern at
the proposal you mentioned earlr
to help pay for out of state patients
coming to Connecticut for abort.
Why do you feel a measure
like this is necessary here?
Well, I think there's a bit of
a misunderstanding about what
the purpose of these funds are.
First of all, they're meant to preserve the,
the infrastructure here in the
state of Connecticut that we all
use and enjoy and are protectino
that everyone can get access toe
reproductive healthcare of data serve.
We've seen an increase in individuals
coming here from other states.
Where abortion and other reproductive
healthcare has been banned and s
important for us to make sure tt
all the medical practitioners ad
facilities here in the state tht
provide this care are compensated for it,
regardless of where the individl
comes from and regardless of the
individual's ability to pay.
But beyond that,
as we see a situation where we've seen
really barbaric bans and prosecutions
instituted across the United St.
Bans and prosecutions and roadbs
that have literally put women
in danger for their lives.
It's important for us here in
Connecticut to do our part to ensure that
individuals can gain access to this care.
So it's really about preserving our own
infrastructure and ensuring that it's
accessible for all who are here in the state,
regardless of their ability to .
Because if these medical practitioners
aren't paid for their work,
and they should be.
Then we won't have access to
this care generally.
So looking ahead now,
we started talking about some of
those other measures that have
been introduced this session.
But if Connecticut is to be a se
state for reproductive healthca,
do you feel there are any other
protective measures that should
be prioritized this session?
Yes. So our agenda this sessionr
the Reproductive Rights Caucus s
a number of additional measures
both to protect practitioners ad
also preserve and increase acce.
So on the protection side,
we have legislation that
would protect practitioners,
malpractice insurance and licens
from frivolous out of state atts
from antichoice activists or
individuals seeking to burden tm
because they provide this care legally
here in the state of Connecticu.
But funding more generally is a.
Really important funding to ense
that the additional practitionee
authorized to perform the proces
actually get trained up in them.
Also, we're looking at the full
spectrum of reproductive health,
not just abortion and maternal
mortality and access to labor,
maternity and delivery care is a really
important part of our agenda this session,
especially through the birthing centers bill.
So that's something that we're really
strongly supporting among other methods.
Absolutely. We'll thank you so .
Again, Matt.
I wish we had more time to chat,
but that does it. And thank you,
as always for being here with u.
Thank you for having me.
Well, that does it for us on the real story.
If you want to watch these segments again,
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story every Sunday at 10:00 AM
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On Fox 61 plus,
and Speaking of streaming this Friday on FOX
61 plus at noon and 8:00 PM,
we're getting into the real story time
machine and going back to the fall of 2016,
Secretary of the state Denise Merrill talks
about security for the 2016 election.
We took a look at races from
the state to the federal level.
Have a great rest of your morni.