February 8, 2022
VERMONT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, CHAIR OF HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE STATEMENTS ON PASSAGE OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT GUARANTEEING REPRODUCTIVE LIBERTY FOR ALL VERMONTERS
Montpelier, Vt. - Today, Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski and Representative Ann Pugh the following statements after the final legislative vote on Proposal 5, the proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee reproductive liberty for all Vermonters:
“In Vermont, we believe healthcare decisions should be made by an individual and a healthcare provider. Today’s final legislative vote on the proposed amendment, which would guarantee reproductive liberty for all Vermonters, shows our commitment to this fundamental right,” said Speaker Krowinski. “The timing is critical: Across the country, we are seeing attacks on reproductive liberty and the erosion of available services for reproductive health.
“The Vermont Constitution is our founding legal document. It articulates the values we share as a society, and I can think of no better way to show our commitment to personal reproductive liberty than a constitutional amendment. Proposal 5 is about more than abortion. It protects the individual’s right to use or not use temporary or permanent birth control, for example, and the right to carry a pregnancy to term.”
“For nearly 50 years Vermonters have relied on the protections offered by Supreme Court Case law to support personal autonomy in reproductive health decisions,” said Representative Pugh, Chair, House Human Services Committee. “The legislature has intentionally chosen not to limit or restrict those protections throughout those decades. I want to reiterate that. For almost 50 years, Vermonters have benefitted from reproductive liberty, including the right to abortion, free from government restriction. We have long recognized that decisions related to reproductive health care and abortion are deeply personal and private, and are best left to an individual and their licensed medical professional.”
“As Vermonters, we want to show the rest of the country that we believe in every individual’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. But this is not the final step in this process,” said Speaker Krowinski. “This proposed amendment will now go to a vote by all Vermonters in November.
“I hope Vermonters will reflect on the importance of this right and the impact it will have in supporting their family, friends, and their community. Passing this amendment will ensure that future generations of Vermonters can live without the fear of unwarranted government interference in their reproductive decisions. I hope other states will follow our path and enact laws to protect personal reproductive liberty and allow individuals to make their own healthcare decisions.”
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