The 2011 legislative session ended on June 8 and we celebrate many reproductive justice victories.  We worked hard to defeat attempts to defund Planned Parenthood in CT by newly elected state Senator Len Suzio  (R-13) and other anti-choice amendments.   Our work is not over as we continue our efforts to protect reproductive health care and Planned Parenthood in CT. 

Our Successes

We successfully worked with the CT Department of Public Health (DPH) to pass legislation which included Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT).  EPT is the CDC recommended clinical practice of treating sex partners of patients diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea by providing prescriptions or medications to the patient to take to his/her partner without the health care provider first examining the partner.   According to the DPH given the high and increase numbers of these infections there are not enough resources for the current traditional partner treatment strategies to adequately address this problem in Connecticut therefore expedited partner therapy was recommended and passed.

Supporting our coalition partners we achieved the following victories:

• Anti-discrimination legislation (HB 6599) passed which adds gender identity and expression to CT non-discrimination law.  Thanks to ctEQUALITY and CT Transadvocacy and the work they did to pass this important transgender civil rights law.
   
• Paid Sick Leave legislation (SB 913) which promotes women coming to work healthy, having the chance to care for sick children and family members at home, receiving preventive health care services while having the income security to support her decisions.   Thank you to the Everybody Benefits Coalition for leading the way and helping CT become the first state in the nation to pass paid sick leave legislation.
   
• Ban on Bisphenol-A (BPA) in thermal receipt paper (SB 210) protecting people in CT from this toxic chemical. Thanks to the CT Coalition for Safe and Healthy CT for leading the effort to get this bill passed.  Planned Parenthood believes all women should be guaranteed the right to control their own fertility, to bear healthy babies and live in safe and healthy communities; free from harmful chemicals that can negatively affect their reproductive health care.

What’s Next:
The legislative session might be over but there is still work to do.  The Program Review and Investigations Committee held an information forum and public hearing on adolescent health care in our state in June. The committee is seeking feedback about how well the state’s system of primary and preventive medical, behavioral, and oral health care for adolescents is working.  Recommendations from the committee will be coming in the fall.  Stay tuned for more details.  

Thank you for your support this legislative session and helping us achieve this important work while defending against federal and state attacks on Planned Parenthood and our funding.  We could not have done it without you. 

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