Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is the latest Democratic official who wants businesses to take advantage of his liberal state after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade.
In an open letter on July 1, Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz urged business owners to “relocate to a state that supports the rights of women.”
“We are writing to any business owner that is disappointed in the stance of their current state,” the letter reads. “If you are looking to relocate to a state that supports the rights of women and whose actions and laws are unwavering in support of tolerance and inclusivity, Connecticut is for you.”
Lamont is one of a growing number of blue-state officials trying to use the reversal as a lure to businesses in more restrictive states to set up shop.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom told businesses that have left the state to “come on back” in the wake of the ruling. The state budget includes business incentives for companies coming from red states that limit access to reproductive rights and discriminate against LGBTQ people, according to Politico.
Other Democrats jumping on the business bandwagon include governors from Illinois and New Jersey. Many companies have pledged to cover abortion-related travel costs for employees since the draft opinion of the June 24 decision leaked, but they’ve given few details on how they’d actually help workers do that without fear of reprisal or breaches of privacy, according to the Associated Press.
Lamont and Bysiewicz, in their letter, appears to believe that prospective workers and clients will factor in state abortion rights in their career decisions.
“There are far-reaching implications for businesses and workers located in states likely to severely limit access to reproductive rights in the coming weeks,” according to the letter. “For many of you, we can imagine that new restrictions will feel like a betrayal and cause concern about where to live and work.”
“Customers and employees alike will be attracted to states that protect reproductive rights for all,” they wrote.
In a recent study, California, Colorado and New York were named the best states for women-owned businesses. The study, by financial consulting firm Clarify Capital, did not factor in the states’ abortion rights, although all three are allowing the procedure to continue (in many cases, they are expanding protections for women).