MARK PAZNIOKAS :: CTMIRROR.ORG
Sen. Heather Somers speaks against a bill that would regulate crisis pregnancy centers. Seated at right is the sponsor, Sen. Mary Daugherty Abrams.
The state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would ban deceptive practices at so-called crisis pregnancy centers, the faith-based institutions accused of handing out misleading information about abortions and other women’s services.
The bill prohibits deceptive advertisements in print publications, online postings, public statements, or “any other manner,” and applies whether the centers do it themselves or someone else does it on their behalf. The proposal gives the Attorney General’s office the power to seek a court order to stop the deceptive practices. Violators would receive a notice to correct the problem within 10 days. If no action is taken, the attorney general could appeal to the courts, seeking fines or other penalties.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law on Wednesday a bill that ends religious exemptions from mandatory school vaccinations in the state. Medical exemptions from immunizations remain in effect.
“Serious illnesses that have been well-controlled for many decades, such as measles, tuberculosis, and whooping cough. have reemerged,” Lamont said in a statement.
“The number of children in our state who have not received routine vaccinations has been steadily increasing, which has been mirrored by significant growth in preventable diseases across the nation,” he continued.
Parents may still choose not to vaccinate their children on medical grounds, but the “bill best ensures that other children and their families will not be exposed to these deadly diseases for hours each day in our schools,” Lamont said.