Senate Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut say outside groups may be funding anti-vaccination activists in the state.
The Connecticut General Assembly is considering a bill that would remove religious exemptions for parents who don’t want to vaccinate their kids.
Hundreds of activists have protested the bill at the Capitol. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff of Norwalk says two of three major activist groups haven’t followed state transparency laws.
“I believe they are well-funded from people outside of Connecticut, they are well-organized, and they have folks in there who fund them from all over the place. These groups…are putting up billboards all across the state of Connecticut at great expense, bringing people in from out-of-state, have posted on social media that they are paying people to wear t-shirts and buttons and everything else.”
LeeAnn Ducat is with Informed Choice Connecticut, one of the groups protesting the bill. She said she had her own suspicions about the bill’s supporters on WSHU’s The Full Story earlier this week. She didn’t give specifics.
“Well, it just really appears there’s a lot of conflicts of interest throughout the state of Connecticut with the proponents of this bill and the people who stand to benefit from it.”
Those opposed to the bill say it infringes on parental rights.
Governor Ned Lamont supports the bill. He says a thoughtful vaccination policy is needed considering the infectious viruses threatening the nation and state from overseas.
