Voters in Connecticut may soon have a say on amending the state constitution. The amendments would to allow for no-excuse absentee ballots and the inclusion of a woman’s right to an abortion. Lawmakers are considering placing the questions on the ballot this November.
Supporters say the ballot measures are needed to counter conservative states that have passed laws aimed at restricting voting and making it harder for women to have abortions.
“Whatever we can do here in Connecticut to provide a real clear direction, I think both in voting rights and reproductive health is going to be beneficial to us as a state and particularly with the most vulnerable people that we work with who are often the ones who are affected most,” said Shannon Lane, a deputy registrar of voters in Bethany. She urged lawmakers to approve the measures, during a public hearing in the General Law and Elections Committee on Friday.
Opponents of the abortion measure held a rally outside the state Capitol last week. They called for an end to abortion in Connecticut.
The U.S Supreme Court is considering a Mississippi law that could overturn its 1973 Roe versus Wade decision that legalized abortion. Connecticut has codified that decision into state law.
