Amna: Now for a democratic point
of view, I am joined by
Connecticut's governor, Ned
Lamont.
Welcome to the newshour.
I want to begin by asking the
same question I put to the
attorney general about abortion
access in your state, if roe is
overturned.
What would be the impact, in the
state of Connecticut, what would
abortion access look like?
Gov. Lamont: First of all, the
supreme court leak took us by
surprise.
We thought this was settled law.
About five years ago, we did
pass a statute that said a
woman's right to choose would
not be breached in the state of
Connecticut, no matter what the
feds do.
That could be changed by another
legislature going forward.
Right now, folks are nervous and
cannot believe the politicians
are getting back into this.
Amna: You have pledged to sign
into law a bill that expands
abortion access by broadening
not only the types of providers
who can offer those, but
protecting providers and
patients who travel to your
state for those services from
other states where it has been
outlawed.
Our other states calling you
because they want to do
something similar?
Gov. Lamont: We are getting some
inquiries.
You listen to what is going on
in Texas.
It was going to be enforced by
lawsuits like vigilante justice.
A number of women maybe want to
come to Connecticut to exercise
their reproductive rights.
I don't want Texas judges going
after them.
We are going to protect our
folks providing services,
protect the clinics and the
women.
Amna: All of the states that
have surrounded you -- all the
states surrounding you, have you
seen other states from other
states traveling to Connecticut
for those services?
Gov. Lamont: Not so much.
We are just ready.
Amna: But you anticipate that
could happen?
Gov. Lamont: I do.
Look at the neighboring states
of Texas right now.
I see a lot of women have to
travel out of state to get their
reproductive rights.
Amna: You are protecting people
who are essentially breaking the
law in other states.
Would you do that for any other
law?
What would you say to that?
Gov. Lamont: I would say we are
protecting people's rights here
in the state of Connecticut, we
are enacting the rights that we
have right here.
I don't have to sit around and
24 other states, each of which
has probably a very different
reproductive log going forward.
I don't know what they are going
to do.
I don't know what they will do
on rape or incensed.
I know what we are going to do
in Connecticut, which is protect
women's rights.
Amna: What about this concern
from president Biden.
Because roe was decided on the
basis of constitutional right to
privacy, it undermines other
cases that were similarly
decided.
Do you have that concern?
Gov. Lamont: I would not know
that.
Amna: If these kind of steps
were not taken by you and your
state legislature, we know other
states are making similar moves,
what do you worry what happen in
the state of Connecticut and the
surrounding region?
Gov. Lamont: We had a couple of
protesters outside the capital a
few weeks ago.
There is a pack here in the
state of Connecticut that wants
to outlaw women's rights to
choose.
We have to be vigilant here,
given the changing political
climate.
The majority of the states take
away a woman's right to choose
and we will not let that happen
in Connecticut.
Amna: We have less than one
minute left.
I wonder if you can offer a big
picture take here?
Many people are worried if roe
is overturned, what we will end
up with is a patchwork of
abortion rights access depending
on where you live.
What role do you see Connecticut
playing if that is the future of
this country?
Gov. Lamont: I think state -- I
think keep the politicians out.
Working with my neighboring
states like we do to make sure
as a region, what your rights
are going forward, and you hope
to god the supreme court or even
better, congress can pass
legislation that does not
interfere with a woman's right
to choose.
Amna: That is governor Ned
Lamont, Democrat from