Connecticut’s legislative session has come to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and two anti-life bills have come to an end along with it.
Initially, the ban on large gatherings due to the coronavirus was meant to last through the end of March but has been extended until May 20, meaning the General Assembly will not be able to reconvene before the May 6 constitutional adjournment. A special session will take place over the summer, though it is unclear if anti-life bills will be brought up during that time. Otherwise, no further action will be taken on these bills until next year.
HB 5420, An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients, failed to make it out of the House Public Health Committee before the rapidly spreading virus shut down the legislature. The public hearing on the issue was scheduled for March 11, 2020, but the legislators last met at the Capitol on March 4, according to the Hartford Courant. Pro-assisted suicide group Compassion and Choices said it will “continue to grow our grassroots supporter base with events across the state that educate and empower Connecticut residents to chart their own end-of-life journey.”
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Additionally, SB 144, An Act Concerning Deceptive Advertising Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers, failed to go to a vote in the House Public Health Committee before the legislature shut down. The public hearing was scheduled for March 9 and the bill would have mandated that pregnancy centers in the state not use so-called “false, misleading, or deceptive” advertising. The pro-life organizations have been accused by NARAL and abortion businesses of having “limited services” simply because they don’t offer abortion.
“The 2020 regular legislative session will adjourn without any further action, and we are already working on a plan to convene a special session in the coming months to ensure the continuity of government functions and that any necessary legislative action can be taken,” state leaders said in a statement. “Our top priority is the health and safety of the public, and we are committed to continue working in unison to stem this health crisis and do everything possible to protect the Connecticut residents we all represent.”
This is the third year in a row that the anti-pregnancy center bill has failed to pass and the eighth year in a row the assisted suicide bill has failed to pass in Connecticut.
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