Ritter, Stillman Face Tough Decision On Abortion

Connecticut teens need parental permission to get a tattoo, but not to have an abortion. A proposed state law would change that.

State Rep. T.R. Rowe, R-123^rd, calls the current laws governing minors convoluted at best. Because of that he co-sponsored H.B. 6246, which would require minors seeking an abortion to notify their parents or guardians.

“The state is replete with instances of parental notification. A minor cannot get an aspirin at the school without parental consent, cannot get a tattoo without parental consent,” said Rowe. “The state is saying they need parental guidance when doing things to their body. Except abortion.”

Currently the state requires counseling for teens 16 and under that includes a discussion about the possibility of parental notification. Should the bill be enacted, Connecticut would join 39 other states with such a law.

State Rep. Elizabeth Ritter, Democrat serving Waterford and Montville’s 38^th House district co-chairs the Public Health Committee, said the committee has yet to finalize which bills will get a public hearing.

"We're not finished raising all our bills," Ritter said. "But one of the issues with this bill, and I've spoken with T.R., is it's actual purpose."

In addition, Patch also left several phone and email messages with Public Health co-chair State Sen. Andrea Stillman, a Democrat serving Waterford’s 20^th Senatorial District. Stillman’s office finally told Patch the senator was “unavailable for comment.”

Under state law, teens seeking testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, or drug abuse counseling, don’t require parental notification or permission. They can also get mental health counseling for a certain period of time without parental notification.

“The things that he [Rowe] equates abortion with are things that are not similar, like ear piercing. Teen legal rights to sensitive health care and counseling are much stronger,” said Susan Yolen, executive director of Planned Parenthood for Southern New England.

“If this was the kind of policy that was truly in the interest of minors you would expect to see the social workers, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the X out there in force,” Yolen said. “But the only ones pushing this are the anti-abortion groups. And they are not groups that litigate for teen legal rights, or work for their health.”

The General Assembly’s Public Health Committee has yet to grant Rowe’s bill a public hearing, and that’s wrong, said state Rep. Jason Perillo, R-121st District.

“Nothing's so controversial that we can’t let people share their perspectives in a public forum,” said Perillo, a ranking member on the Public Health Committee. “In this case, people have strong opinions on both sides of the argument. Personally, I'd like to hear them.”

In fact, in 1990, when the state codified Roe v. Wade into law, it addressed the issue of minors’ rights regarding abortion. The state required teens 16 and under to receive counseling on the idea of parental notification.

Right now Connecticut is one of four states with a legislative declaration that affirmatively protects a woman’s right to choose abortion. Maine, Maryland, and Washington are the other three.

Nineteen states have mandatory waiting periods that prohibit women from getting an abortion until after receiving a state-mandated lecture or materials, Connecticut has no such provision.

Connecticut is one of 30 states with abortion-specific informed consent laws that require women receive state-mandated information and materials on fetal development, prenatal care, and adoption.

As for abortions performed in the third trimester, also called partial-birth abortion, 22 states have bans. Connecticut doesn’t.

The Hartford-based Family Institute of Connecticut is determined to see this bill through.

“With the abortion rate climbing in our state, it is more urgent than ever to pass this law!” according to its website.

However, there was a 5 percent decline in the number of abortions in the state from 2008 to 2009, according to the Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference. This drop was in part because of the decrease in teen abortions.

There were 13,732 abortions performed in Connecticut during 2009. That’s down from 14,534 in 2007, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Rowe said the bill could likely include an amendment that would permit minors to go before a probate judge if they feel it’s impossible or difficult to approach her parent or guardian.

But for now Rowe said he just wants a public hearing on the proposed bill.

“I’ll be tickled pink to get a fair and open hearing,” Rowe said. “But we have never been able to get a hearing on this. Those who are pro-abortion not want to touch this with a 10-foot pole.”

What Else Ritter And Stillman Are Doing

Rep. Betsy Ritter, (D-38^th), now serving a fourth term, has introduced and co-sponsors 24 bills, including:

• HB05107, An act establishing a storm water pilot program in New London.
• HB05324, An act made in an effort to reduce identity theft by prohibiting health care providers from including a patient's driver's license in their health records. The Joint Committee on Public Health voted to draft legislation.
• HB05326, An act requiring that all schools install carbon monoxide detectors. This bill was moved from the Joint Committee on Public Health to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security, which voted to draft legislation. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15.
• HB05535, An act concerning school bullying laws.
• HB05555, An act to ensure that sales tax is being paid for the service fee charged by online travel service companies who provide hotel rooms at a discounted rate
• HB05560, An act concerning an evaluation of the Medicaid program.
• HB05568, an act to exclude stand-alone units from condominium association insurance requirements when condominium association documents indicate that the maintenance, repair and replacement of entire freestanding units are the responsibility of the unit owner
• HB05581, An act providing state aid to a municipality in which a state-operated sexual offender treatment facility is located.
• HB05597, An act requiring the state to provide PILOT moneys to municipalities hosting correctional facilities. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 7.
• HB05652, an act to increase the amount of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund revenues returning to cities and towns and to assist casino-impacted municipalities in meeting their host community obligations.
• HB05784, An act concerning grants in lieu of taxes on land taken into trust for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan tribe.
• HB05794, An act renaming the state police forensic science laboratory as the "Dr. Henry C. Lee Forensic Science Laboratory".
• HB05911, An act concerning the siting of residential sexual offender treatment facilities, where any site selected or proposed for a residential sexual offender treatment facility will be evaluated in accordance with certain criteria such as proximity to parks, schools, child care facilities, businesses, private homes, liquor permittees, and local and state roads.
• HB05943, An act requiring Tibetan language driver's license written tests.
• HB06020, An act concerning the Connecticut Siting Council.
• HB06176, An act concerning increasing penalties to for repeat violators of the Personnel Files Act, to $500 per person and $1,000 per employee. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15.
• HB06198, An act prohibiting open containers of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.
• SB00018, An act concerning appeals of health insurance benefits denials.
• SB00532, An act to allow the State Bond Commission to issue state bonds (aggregate principal amount cannot exceed $750,000) to be used by the Department of Human Services to provide funding to Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut to build a residential hospice facility in Norwich. This bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health, which voted to draft legislation.
• SB00548, An act concerning an exemption from the sales tax for auction sales made during a fundraising event held by a nonprofit organization. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15.
• SB00622, An act appropriating funds for the Connecticut cruise ship task force.
• SB00760, An act prohibiting the sale or possession of Salvia Divinorum.
• SB00761, An act prohibiting the sale or possession of synthetic cannabinoids.
  • SB00790, An act concerning unauthorized transmission of crime or accident scene photographs or videos. "Joshua's Law" is meant to protect the privacy rights of the families of deceased victims of crimes or accidents.

Sen. Andrea Stillman, (D-20^th), now in her third term, has introduced 19 bills, including:

• HB05324, An act made in an effort to reduce identity theft by prohibiting health care providers from including a patient's driver's license in their health records. The Joint Committee on Public Health voted to draft legislation.
• HB05555, An act to create a system for collecting sales tax from online retailers
• HB05568, An act to exclude stand-alone units from condominium association insurance requirements when condominium association documents indicate that the maintenance, repair and replacement of entire freestanding units are the responsibility of the unit owner.
• HB05581, An act providing state aid to a municipality in which a state-operated sexual offender treatment facility is located.
• HB05597, An act requiring the state to fulfill its obligation in releasing PILOT money to towns that host correctional facilities. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 7.
• HB05610, An act to: (1) Require that there be no substitutions by pharmacists when filling prescriptions used for the treatment of epilepsy; and (2) expand the use of collaborative drug therapy management agreements between pharmacists and physicians. The Joint Committee on Public Health voted to draft legislation.
• HB05652, An act to increase the amount of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund revenues returning to cities and towns and to assist casino-impacted municipalities in meeting their host community obligations.
• HB05784, An act concerning grants in lieu of taxes on land taken into trust for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan tribe.
• HB05911, An act concerning the siting of residential sexual offender treatment facilities, where any site selected or proposed for a residential sexual offender treatment facility will be evaluated in accordance with certain criteria such as proximity to parks, schools, child care facilities, businesses, private homes, liquor permittees, and local and state roads.
• HB05943, An act requiring Tibetan language driver's license written tests.
• HB06198, An act prohibiting open containers of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.
• SB00235, An act strengthening school bullying laws.
• SB00420, An act concerning the date when parents may register their children for kindergarten.
• SB00532, An act to allow the State Bond Commission to issue state bonds (aggregate principal amount cannot exceed $750,000) to be used by the Department of Human Services to provide funding to Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut to build a residential hospice facility in Norwich. This bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health, which voted to draft legislation.
• SB00548, An act concerning an exemption from the sales tax for auction sales made during a fundraising event held by a nonprofit organization. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15.
• SB00622, An act appropriating funds for the Connecticut cruise ship task force.
• SB00744, An act to suspend the license of a person driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.
• SB00760, An act prohibiting the sale or possession of Salvia Divinorum.
• SB00761, An act prohibiting the sale or possession of synthetic cannabinoids.
• SB00790, An act concerning unauthorized transmission of crime or accident scene photographs or videos. "Joshua's Law" is meant to protect the privacy rights of the families of deceased victims of crimes or accidents.