Dear John,

Last night, we learned that a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is planning to overturn the historic Roe v. Wade decision – striking down the constitutional right to abortion.

This is infuriating. Right-wing extremists, state legislatures, and Supreme Court justices hand-picked by Donald Trump to fulfill his promise of overturning Roe have no right getting in the way of personal healthcare decisions. We cannot go backwards.

In Connecticut and Washington, I have fought hard to defend individual reproductive freedom and choice. In 1990, as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, I voted to codify abortion rights into law, giving Connecticut residents statutory protection with some of the strongest reproductive rights in the country.

Now, the Connecticut State House passed a bill just last week that would transform Connecticut into a sanctuary state for legal abortion – barring state courts from enforcing another state’s penalties in Connecticut, allowing people sued under vigilante abortion laws in other states to countersue in Connecticut court, and prohibiting state authorities from complying with another state’s request to investigate, penalize, or extradite individuals under their laws. I hope this legislation is signed into law without delay.

Make no mistake: Once this decision is issued, Connecticut’s laws will be our only protection – and we must ensure we elect leaders who defend the freedom of choice and access to quality reproductive healthcare at every level of government.

I stood against the ultra-conservative anti-choice movement for decades, and I need your support to continue. Together, we will stand as the last line of defense.

Thank you,