From The Director's Desk
The 2024 Election provided few changes in the makeup of the Connecticut General Assembly. Democrats gained three seats in the state House and one in the State Senate. Democrats will hold a 102- 49 advantage in the House and 26-11 edge in the Senate.
Democrats were reelected for all federal offices, including U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who won a third term.
Democrat Members of the House of Representatives – Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Johanna Hayes, Jim Himes, and John Larson were easily re-elected.
President-Elect Donald J. Trump lost in Connecticut, but his policy initiatives may provide some positive outcomes for people of faith, particularly Catholics. Statistics from exit polls indicated Trump collected 61 percent of the voters who proclaimed themselves of the Catholic faith.
Several policies and laws are likely to be affected when the Trump administration takes office on January 20, 2025: Title IX protections of young women’s rights, protection of religious freedom on college campuses, and the promotion of school choice.
President-Elect Trump had publicly called for a return to the original intent of Title IX, which guarantees the rights of women to participate in the same scholastic sports opportunities as males by prohibiting discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities. In August, the Biden administration unilaterally changed Title IX definitions to include transgender males with the same eligibility and protections as biological women. This created an unfair reality that bolstered men competing in women’s sports at all competitive levels with the full protection of the federal government.
This new definition will likely be repealed and replaced with the original intent of Title IX. It will then fall to the state of Connecticut to follow suit and to change state laws that allow public school districts to withhold information about children with gender dysphoria diagnosis from parents. State law also allows boys to play in girls’ sports at the scholastic level.
Religious freedom, guaranteed under the Constitution, has also been challenged by numerous acts of antisemitism on college campuses and in the public square. President-Elect Trump has said he would withhold federal funds and challenge tax-exempt status of any institution of higher learning that condones anti-religious acts.
School choice, where children and parents are allowed to choose the school that fits their needs – private or public – is a major initiative of the Trump campaign. U.S. Secretary of Education designate Linda McMahon, a Connecticut resident, has long been a proponent of allowing parents the freedom to guide their children’s future while allowing public funds to “follow the child.”
At the state Capitol, legislators will begin to file their legislative proposals over the coming weeks. The 2024-2025 legislative session will officially begin January 8, 2025 and end June 4, 2025.
Legislation introduced will be subject to review by Democrat leaders before public hearings are scheduled and then votes will occur at the committee level. If those votes are successful, legislation will go to the House and Senate for action.
We must prepare for proposals that further abortion practices, that legalize assisted suicide, further harass pregnancy care centers and assault the religious directives Catholic hospitals operate under. The proponents of these initiatives are supported by national organizations that are not reflective of Connecticut voters.
That is why it is important for Catholics like you, and all people who share our values, to stay alert, get active, and make sure your voices are heard until victory is assured.
In the coming weeks and months, the Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference, will keep you informed on pending legislation and how you can help protect innocent life from conception to natural end.
Also, watch for further information on the annual state March for Life to be held at the state Capitol in Hartford. Your attendance will help send the message to lawmakers that we will not allow laws to be passed that do not respect God’s greatest gift to us all.
In the meantime, share our links to our website and email blasts to friends, family and fellow Catholics.
By Christopher Healy, Executive Director, Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference
