Connecticut must reposition itself as a red-state refuge

Connecticut isn’t passing laws this year attacking teachers or persecuting vulnerable populations. That’s a good start, but not nearly enough.

Republican-led states across America, by contrast, are doing everything in their power to drive out anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their increasingly narrow vision. The result should be a boon for the rest of the country as people flee increasingly oppressive state governments. But we have work to do to make that happen.

The list of ever-more-extreme laws passed in red states in the past year is dizzying, with the knowledge that the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to let it all happen apparently bringing on the deluge of Republican wish-list legislation. The best-known examples are a near-total ban on abortion in Texas and Florida’s already-notorious “don’t say gay” bill. But the list is long and growing.

Dozens of states have advanced bills restricting voting rights. Others are banning books or limiting teachers’ ability to discuss controversial topics (or just plain old American history). Transgender rights have come under heavy attack, and many states have copied Texas’ approach to abortion, giving private citizens enforcement powers via lawsuits against fellow residents.

If anyone thought Republicans stood for small government and a hands-off approach to leadership, recent events show they should reconsider. It’s all culture war, all the time.

There are a few ways states like Connecticut on the other side of the divide should react. One is to codify exactly where we stand on such issues, which many lawmakers are doing. As state Reps. Matt Blumenthal and Jillian Gilchrest recently wrote, two bills before the Legislature this year would increase access to abortion in Connecticut and, separately, help stop other states from going after anyone who comes here for medical care.

Supporters of the bills deserve credit for recognizing the truth behind the debate: Abortion is health care, and people will continue to seek the procedure out no matter what the law in their state says. Ensuring the safety of those who do is essential.

Beyond that, Connecticut needs to become more welcoming to anyone looking to escape red states. That cannot happen without more housing, and more different kinds of housing.

Affordability is key. Connecticut can’t be considered a reasonable destination with towns that average million-dollar asking prices for available homes. Every town needs to play a role, and the more the state does, the more we’ll add to the population and fill the glut of open jobs.

This issue goes both ways, of course. Some people will move to red states because of the new slate of laws. But history shows they will be outnumbered, especially among young people.

Whatever the location, there are always many reasons why people leave or stay in a given place, and state politics is rarely the main issue. Family, work and the lure of a hometown are much more likely to be deciding factors.

That doesn’t mean these laws won’t matter, though, and people who are in a position to make a different decision for themselves often want to live in a place that reflects their values. Connecticut could be one of those places, but only if we make ourselves more welcoming.

Many people in red states recognize this danger, and see the self-defeating nature of the recent run of laws. “You have an emerging generation that is multiracial, multicultural, where no single ethnic or racial group is the majority, and it has struck an existential fear within those who are used to controlling everything, from the boardroom to the White House,” Nadine Smith, executive director of a group called Equality Florida, told CNN. As that younger generation sees the way laws are trending, its members are going to leave.

These changes don’t happen overnight, and 2021 numbers showed a decline in population for the country’s largest metro areas. But the long-term trends are plain, with rural, more conservative regions emptying out around the nation in favor of urban areas — that’s where all the jobs are. Our electoral system means rural areas retain outsize power, but the long-term population movements are clear.

Connecticut, at the same time, has shown almost no population growth in recent years, even as there is huge demand to live here, as shown by increasing housing prices and long lines for available properties. If we built more housing, more people would live here. There’s a long list of reasons for doing so, and providing a landing space for people fleeing red states should be one of them.

This is how Democrats should fight culture wars. Don’t dodge them, win them. Stand up for what you believe in. Florida’s governor just signed a measure forcing elementary schools to provide a searchable list of every book available in their libraries, which can only lead to abuse. Connecticut doesn’t do that sort of thing. We should own that.

But to truly capitalize, we need to welcome more people in. It’s essential to our state’s future.