An individual’s right to reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity of determining one’s own life course.
When it comes to the most important decisions in life, such as whether to become a parent, every person should have the right to determine their own life course regardless of their race, gender, religion, income, or zip code.
Reproductive rights are at risk.
For far too long, politicians across the country have interfered with our health decisions by restricting access to reproductive health.
The U.S. Supreme Court poses an imminent threat to the constitutional right to abortion. Right now, there are 17 cases threatening a person’s right to reproductive liberty that are just one step away from the Supreme Court. If the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade – the 1973 decision which established a legal right to abortion – people’s constitutional rights in Vermont will be threatened.
Decisions made in Washington D.C. should not dictate the health and future of individuals that call Vermont home.
To ensure we preserve this right to determine our own life course here in Vermont, we must guarantee the right to personal reproductive freedom for all Vermonters by passing Proposition 5, a proposal that would amend the Vermont Constitution to reflect the value that every Vermonter should be afforded personal reproductive freedom.
Proposition 5 would guarantee Vermonters the right to become pregnant and carry a pregnancy to term; to choose or refuse sterilization; to choose abortion, and to choose or refuse contraception. A constitutional amendment allows Vermonters an opportunity to preserve this freedom, no matter what happens in Washington, D.C.
The Amendment Process
The constitutional amendment must pass both the Vermont Senate and House chambers in two consecutive legislatures before Vermonters vote on it in the general election.
The road to reproductive freedom in Vermont is already underway. Proposition 5 passed both the Vermont Senate and House chambers in 2019 and must now pass both chambers again this legislative biennium (2021-2022). If it passes this year, the amendment will appear on the general election ballot in November 2022.
Take Action
The legislature should pass the amendment known as Proposition 5 this legislative session so that Vermonters can vote in 2022 on whether they want to ensure that every Vermonter is afforded reproductive freedom.
If passed on the ballot in November 2022, Vermont will make history by being the first state to explicitly protect reproductive freedom in its state constitution.
Join us in asking your legislators to pass Proposition 5 this legislative session to protect Vermonters’ reproductive freedom. Call your legislators at (802) 828-2228.
