house resolution no.247

Reps. Brabec, Cynthia Johnson, Pohutsky, Camilleri, Puri, Manoogian, Stone, Kuppa, Brenda Carter, Clemente, Aiyash, Cavanagh, Morse, Lasinski, Neeley, Rogers, Scott, Brixie, Hood, Sowerby, Hope and Sneller offered the following resolution:

A resolution to affirm that Griswold v. Connecticut was rightly decided.

Whereas, The 1965 United States Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut is foundational to modern day civil rights. The case established a constitutional right to marital privacy, which effectively created a right to access birth control for married couples. This right was later extended in subsequent cases to apply beyond the marital relationship; and

Whereas, Access to birth control has played a pivotal role in the fight for gender equality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named “family planning” one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century due to how it has “altered [the] social and economic roles of women.” Research shows that birth control availability is associated with an “increase in U.S. women’s education, labor force participation, and average earnings, coupled with a narrowing in the wage gap between women and men”; and

Whereas, In addition, unplanned pregnancies can result in adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. Women who have unintended pregnancies are less likely to receive prenatal care and more likely to experience postpartum depression. Unplanned pregnancies have also been associated with higher rates of preterm birth and low birthweight; and

Whereas, The Griswold decision recognized that preventing access to birth control infringes on the fundamental right to privacy. The case emphasized the notion that fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, must be protected in order to uphold the foundational principles of the Constitution; and

Whereas, The United States has long recognized that some rights are too central to one’s pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness to allow state governments to infringe upon them. The Griswold decision, along with subsequent cases, appropriately established that these rights include the rights to privacy, bodily integrity, and family planning. By doing so, the decision helped to shape many rights that Americans take for granted every day; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we affirm that Griswold v. Connecticut was rightly decided.