The following press release is by Vermonters for the Common Good regarding the vote in the Vermont House to pass Proposal 5, sending the proposed constitutional amendment to the ballot in November.
This week, the Vermont House advanced Proposal 5, a proposed Constitutional amendment to guarantee a so-called right to “personal reproductive autonomy,” which includes abortion.
While portrayed by advocates as a simple proposal to preserve abortion rights in case Roe v. Wade is overturned, the reality is much different. Unlike Roe v. Wade, Prop 5 protects late-term, anything goes abortion.
“Prop 5… It’s serving judicial power. It’s serving special interest groups. It’s not serving the state of Vermont. It’s not serving parents. It’s not serving the minors of our state, and it’s certainly not serving taxpayers,” said Annisa Lamberton, spokesperson for Vermonters for Good Government. “It would place Vermonters’ futures, not in their own hands as purported, but in the hands of unelected, unaccountable, judges, who will decide its meaning,” she added.
If Roe v. Wade is struck down, abortion will remain legal in Vermont, even without Prop 5.
Proposal 5 effectively elevates a man’s rights in the reproductive process onto same legal level as a woman’s. And, where those rights come into conflict, it will be up to a court – not the woman — to decide what happens.
This scenario and the need for judicial remedy was confirmed in testimony before the House Human Services Committee by a spokesperson for the ACLU. (You can watch the Vermonters for Good Government video of that testimony here.
This is just one of many unintended consequences the vague and frankly bizarre wording of Proposal 5 could unleash on Vermont. Others include eliminating parental rights in regard to children seeking abortion, sterilization, or gender therapy; unfettered taxpayer funding for a variety of medical procedures related to reproduction and sexuality; future forms of eugenics such as genetically modified “designer babies,” and creating a legal mandate for nurses and doctors to participate in procedures they may deem medically unwise or ones they morally oppose (or else they could be fired with no legal recourse).
For all these reasons, we believe Vermont voters should and will reject Article 22 on election day, and Vermonters for Good Government will ensure that every Vermonter has the facts they need to make an informed decision about this poorly written Constitutional Amendment before it becomes the law of our land.
For interviews, contact:
Official Spokesperson; Annisa Lamberton: LearnMore@VermontersForGoodGovernment.org
Executive Director; Matthew Strong: Matthew@VermontersForGoodGovernment.org
Vermonters for Good Government, a 501c4 nonprofit organization, was formed by individuals across the political spectrum to oppose the addition of Article 22/Proposal 5 in the state constitution.
Lies, lies and more lies. Abortion is murder. 6th Commandment,”Thou shall not murder.”
Overturning Roe v. Wade doesn’t “do” anything. It undoes something. Looking beyond the specifics of the law, what Roe v. Wade represented was the unconstitutional power of the federal government to exercise control over state autonomy, to override and control the laws legislated by state legislators elected by residents of the states. Protection of that autonomy, in plain language, is written into the Constitution and strongly, clearly expressed in the Tenth Amendment. The Progressives denigrate, attack and strive to override the Constitution. The Progressive goal is to centralize and consolidate power in Washington, D.C., in the federal government. They want (and are exercising) federal control over schools, health/medicine, the economy, energy, housing, industry, water, mass communications, – What can you think of they don’t want to control from Washington? The form of government they are striving to achieve they may consider Progressive, but the word is virtually interchangeable with Fascism. They have said it. They want to take from you everything you produce and benevolently return to you what they deem you need. “You will own nothing. You will be happy.”