Lamont signs abortion law protecting patients, providers

Connecticut legislators recently passed a new abortion bill.

The measure is the most far-reaching on abortion in Connecticut in the past 32 years and would expand abortion-related protections regarding lawsuits against both providers and patients who travel to Connecticut.

Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed Wednesday that he signed the bill.

“This is a bill I wanted to sign as soon as possible,” he said in a video released Wednesday, noting the preliminary ruling from the Supreme Court that has raised concerns about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and ending a “woman’s right to choose.”

“No politician is going to get between you and your doctor,” in Connecticut, Lamont said. “You make the choice.”

The state’s new abortion law has been called the strongest in the nation. In reacting to the news of the leaked Supreme Court opinion Monday night, Attorney General William Tong said, “Connecticut will be a safe state.”

As abortions are restricted in multiple states like Texas, state Sen. Saud Anwar, a doctor, predicted, “We will be a place of refuge for a lot of people.’’

Connecticut’s House Bill 5414, known as the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, would expand the number of medical specialists who are allowed to perform abortion services — allowing advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants and nurse-midwives to provide medication and aspiration abortions in the first trimester.