Opinion ID: 2554470
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: state equal protection claim

Text: As an alternative ground for affirming the judgment of the trial court, the plaintiff claims that §§ 55 and 64 of Spec. Sess. P.A. 09-5 also violate the state constitution. In support of her claim, the plaintiff argues that article first, § 20, of the Connecticut constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of alienage and that a court reviewing a claim of discrimination on that basis must subject the classification created by the challenged provisions to strict scrutiny. Article first, § 20, of the constitution of Connecticut provides: No person shall be denied the equal protection of the law nor be subjected to segregation or discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of his civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry or national origin. [38] Although this provision does not expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of alienage, the plaintiff claims that the terms ancestry and national origin, as used in that section, include or are synonymous with alienage. In light of our conclusion in part II of this opinion that the classifications drawn by §§ 55 and 64 of Spec. Sess. P.A. 09-5 are not based on alienage, however, we need not determine whether ancestry and national origin, as used in article first, § 20, prohibit classifications based on alienage. The judgment is reversed and the case is remanded with direction to render judgment for the defendant.