Editor’s note: Roll Call is published by the Ethan Allen Institute.
S.74, an act relating to modifications to Vermont’s patient choice at end of life laws (Donahue Amendment), failed in the State House of Representatives on April 13, 2022, by a vote of 41-98.
Purpose: The underlying purpose of S.74 is to remove barriers to medication for terminally ill individuals to kill themselves. Currently a patient must make two in-person requests to receive such medication. S.74 would allow that patient to make their request over video telemedicine.
The purpose of the Donahue Amendment to S.74 is provide a safeguard for terminally ill individuals, so that a broadly defined “health care providers” can more accurately determine if the individual does indeed want to undergo medical suicide of their own free will.
Analysis: Those voting YES believe eliminating the in-person requirement could make it much easier for those with authority over the individual to coerce the patient into ending their life before they would like to.
Those voting NO believe many terminally ill Vermonters are not well enough to visit a healthcare provider, making video telemedicine the logical option. This would allow more individuals to exercise their choose medical suicide.
As Recorded in the House Journal, Wednesday, April 13, 2022: “Pending the question, Shall the House propose to the Senate to amend the bill as offered by Rep. Donahue of Northfield?, Rep. Donahue of Northfield demanded the Yeas and Nays, which demand was sustained by the Constitutional number. The Clerk proceeded to call the roll and the question, Shall the House propose to the Senate to amend the bill as offered by Rep. Donahue of Northfield?, was decided in the negative. Yeas, 41. Nays, 98.” (Read the Journal, p. 1030 – 32).
Watch the floor debate on YouTube.
HOW THEY VOTED
Sally Achey (R – Middletown Springs) – YES
Janet Ancel (D – Calais) – NO
Peter Anthony (D – Barre City) – NO
Norman Arrison (D – Weathersfield) – NO
Sarita Austin (D – Colchester) – NO
John Bartholomew (D – Hartland) – NO
Scott Beck (R – St. Johnsbury) – YES
Matthew Birong (D – Vergennes) – ABSENT
Alyssa Black (D – Essex) – NO
Tiffany Bluemle (D – Burlington) – NO
Thomas Bock (D – Chester) – NO
Seth Bongartz (D – Manchester) – NO
Michelle Bos-Lun (D – Westminster) – NO
Erin Brady (D – Williston) – NO
Patrick Brennan (R – Colchester) – ABSENT
Timothy Briglin (D – Thetford) – NO
Jana Brown (D – Richmond) – NO
Nelson Brownell (D – Pownal) – NO
Jessica Brumsted (D – Shelburne) – NO
Thomas Burditt (R – West Rutland) – ABSENT
Mollie Burke (P/D – Brattleboro) – NO
Elizabeth Burrows (P/D – West Windsor) – NO
Scott Campbell (D – St. Johnsbury) – YES
Bill Canfield (R – Fair Haven) – YES
Seth Chase (D – Colchester) – NO
Kevin “Coach” Christie (D – Hartford) – NO
Brian Cina (P/D – Burlington) – NO
Sara Coffey (D – Guilford) – NO
Selene Colburn (P/D – Burlington) – NO
Hal Colston (D – Winooski) – NO
Peter Conlon (D – Cornwall) – NO
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (D – Bradford) – NO
Timothy Corcoran (D – Bennington) – NO
Mari Cordes (D/P – Lincoln) – NO
Lawrence Cupoli (R – Rutland City) – YES
Lynn Dickinson (R – St. Albans Town) – YES
Karen Dolan (D – Essex) – NO
Kari Dolan (D – Waitsfield) – NO
Anne Donahue (R – Northfield) – YES
Kate Donnally (D – Hyde Park) – ABSENT
David Durfee (D – Shaftsbury) – NO
Caleb Elder (D – Starksboro) – NO
Alice Emmons (D – Springfield) – NO
Peter Fagan (R – Rutland City) – YES
Martha Feltus (R – Lyndon) – YES
John Gannon (D – Wilmington) – NO
Rey Garofano (D – Essex) – NO
Leslie Goldman (D – Bellows Falls) – NO
Kenneth Goslant (R – Northfield) – YES
Maxine Grad (D – Moretown) – NO
Rodney Graham (R – Williamstown) – YES
James Gregoire (R – Fairfield) – YES
Lisa Hango (R – Berkshire) – YES
James Harrison (R – Chittenden) – YES
Robert Helm (R – Fair Haven) – YES
Mark Higley (R – Lowell) – YES
Robert Hooper (D – Burlington) – NO
Mary Hooper (D – Montpelier) – NO
Philip Hooper (D – Randolph) – NO
Lori Houghton (D – Essex) – NO
Mary Howard (D – Rutland) – NO
Kathleen James (D – Manchester) – NO
Stephanie Jerome (D – Brandon) – NO
Kimberly Jessup (D – Middlesex) – NO
John Kascenska (R – Burke) – YES
John Killacky (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Charles Kimbell (D – Woodstock) – NO
Warren Kitzmiller (D – Montpelier) – NO
Emilie Kornheiser (D – Brattleboro) – NO
Jill Krowinski (D – Burlington) – PRESIDING
Larry Labor (R – Morgan) – ABSENT
Robert LaClair (R – Barre) – YES
Martin LaLonde (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Diane Lanpher (D – Vergennes) –NO
Wayne LaRoche (R – Franklin) – YES
Paul Lefebvre (R – Newark) – NO
Samantha Lefebvre (R – Orange) – YES
Felisha Leffler (R – Enosburgh) – NO
William Lippert (D – Hinesburg) – NO
Emily Long (D – Newfane) – NO
Michael Marcotte (R – Coventry) – YES
Marcia Martel (R – Waterford) – ABSENT
James Masland (D – Thetford) – NO
Christopher Mattos (R – Milton) – YES
Michael McCarthy (D – St. Albans City) – NO
Curtis McCormack (D – Burlington) – NO
Patricia McCoy (R – Poultney) – YES
James McCullough (D – Williston) – NO
Francis McFaun (R – Barre Town) – YES
Leland Morgan (R – Milton) – YES
Michael Morgan (R – Milton) – YES
Kristi Morris (D – Springfield) – YES
Mary Morrissey (R – Bennington) – YES
Michael Mrowicki (D – Putney) – NO
Emma Mulvaney-Stanak (D – Burlington) – NO
Barbara Murphy (I – Fairfax) – YES
Logan Nicoll (D – Ludlow) – NO
Michael Nigro (D – Bennington) – NO
Robert Norris (R – Sheldon) – YES
Terry Norris (I – Shoreham) – NO
William Notte (D – Rutland) – NO
Daniel Noyes (D – Wolcott) – NO
John O’Brien (D – Tunbridge) – NO
Carol Ode (D – Burlington) – NO
“Woody” Page (R – Newport City) – YES
Kelly Pajala (I – Londonderry) – NO
John Palasik (R – Milton) – ABSENT
Joseph Parsons (R – Newbury) – ABSENT
Carolyn Partridge (D – Windham) – NO
Avram Patt (D – Worcester) – NO
Henry Pearl (D – Danville) – NO
Arthur Peterson (R – Clarendon) – YES
Ann Pugh (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Barbara Rachelson (D/P – Burlington) – NO
Lucy Rogers (D – Waterville) – NO
Carl Rosenquist (R – Georgia) – YES
Larry Satcowitz (D – Randolph) – NO
Robin Scheu (D – Middlebury) – NO
Heidi Scheuermann (R – Stowe) – YES
Charles “Butch” Shaw (R – Pittsford) – YES
Amy Sheldon (D – Middlebury) – NO
Laura Sibilia (I – Dover) – NO
Katherine Sims (D – Craftsbury) – NO
Taylor Small (P/D – Winooski) – NO
Brian Smith (R – Derby) – YES
Harvey Smith (R – New Haven) – ABSENT
Trevor Squirrell (D – Underhill) – NO
Gabrielle Stebbins (D – Burlington) – NO
Thomas Stevens (D – Waterbury) – NO
Vicki Strong (R – Albany) – YES
Linda Joy Sullivan (D – Dorset) – NO
Heather Suprenant (D – Barnard) – NO
Curt Taylor (D – Colchester) – NO
Thomas Terenzini (R – Rutland Town) – YES
George Till (D – Jericho) – NO
Tristan Toleno (D – Brattleboro) – NO
Casey Toof (R – St. Albans Town) – YES
Maida Townsend (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Joseph “Chip” Troiano (D – Stannard) – NO
Tanya Vyhovsky (P/D – Essex) – NO
Matt Walker (R – Swanton) – YES
Tommy Walz (D – Barre City) – NO
Kathryn Webb (D – Shelburne) – NO
Kirk White (P/D – Bethel) – NO
Rebecca White (D – Hartford) – NO
Dane Whitman (D – Bennington) – NO
Terri Lynn Williams (R – Granby) – YES
Theresa Wood (D – Waterbury) – NO
David Yacovone (D – Morristown) – NO
Michael Yantachka (D – Charlotte) – NO
