State Headliners: Attorney General TJ Donovan’s take on marijuana, abortion, immigration

By Guy Page

TJ Donovan of South Burlington was elected Vermont Attorney General in 2016. He said this June he has “had conversations” about running for governor in 2020. He might also run for a third term as Attorney General. Based on recent public statements, what can Vermonters expect from either Gov. or AG Donovan on hot-button issues like marijuana legalization, abortion and illegal immigration?

Lou Varricchio/TNR

Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan

Marijuana – Donovan is a strong supporter of a legal, retail market for marijuana, he told WCAX August 29: by legalizing personal possession, “we have created this limbo in our state regarding marijuana,” said Donovan. The only solution is full legalization, he said: “It’s gotta happen. We’re past go on this, it’s gotta get done,” Donovan said.

Abortion – Planned Parenthood of New England August 20 thanked Donovan for helping set aside $750,000 of state funds to replace federal funding lost when  PPNE wouldn’t stop counseling abortions for low-income recipients of Title X services like cancer screenings and contraceptives. When the Trump administration last week reprimanded a Vermont hospital for forcing an anti-abortion nurse to help perform an abortion, Donovan called it “an attack on women’s reproductive health,” VPR reported August 28. He added, “I don’t UVM has done anything wrong.” His office would “do everything to defend” UVMMC.

Illegal immigration – Donovan has consistently joined other state AG’s in federal lawsuits opposing Trump administration immigration policies, including “fast-track” deportations, child detention, and withholding funding for “sanctuary” cities and states.

At present only Rebecca Holcombe, former VT Secretary of Education, has declared as a Democratic candidate for governor.

Statehouse Headliners is intended primarily to educate, not advocate. It is e-mailed to an ever-growing list of interested Vermonters, public officials and media. Guy Page is affiliated with the Vermont Energy Partnership; the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare; and Physicians, Families and Friends for a Better Vermont.

Images courtesy of Vermont Secretary of State's Office and Lou Varricchio/TNR

4 thoughts on “State Headliners: Attorney General TJ Donovan’s take on marijuana, abortion, immigration

  1. Donovan went out to lunch the day he got elected and hasn’t come back. He has been a disaster and his position on these three hot button issues is ample confirmation. Heaven help us if he becomes the next governor!!!

  2. Oh just what we need another pusher of leftist idealisms who don’t give a crap about Vermont or Vermonters…Don Quixote Donovan who’ll never attack the invasive ridge line windmills..

  3. Gubernatorial hopeful T.J. Donovan “is a strong supporter of a “legal, retail market for marijuana” and justifies it by saying there is no other way to go except full legalization because Vermont has “created limbo” by “legalizing personal possession.” For such a established lawyer, one who should be good at analytical thinking, he sure misses the mark on this one. The obvious and right option would be to support the repeal of the legalized marijuana law now on the books. Wonder why he didn’t think of that, being a legal thinker? Vermont is not a nation unto itself and marijuana possession and sale is illegal under federal law. Surely a man of the law should not condone such open, flagrant violation of the law of the land. A person with such high office aspirations should be driven to do what is right by the citizens of Vermont. Maybe it’s not too late for him to become educated. He should read the recently released marijuana advisory from the United States Surgeon General https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/mental-health/index.html and watch his press conference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7kXJnX9z8&fbclid=IwAR287xI6glQkSTpV1RG0s9VRQZ_Mw1dwG—Spcu9Vq4I6-iQ9NI2AW6plo

    Considering the above, does it surprise anyone he would support PPNE because of the political benefits it will bring at election time? Did I suggest, by saying that, that his marijuana position was also for political reasons? Shame on me! The gift of our money to Planned Parenthood shows what a good Democrat he is by giving our money away to an organization that is unworthy of it, just because it will benefit him in being able to be elected. Now that’s the Democrat way, isn’t it? They are good at it and it doesn’t cost them a dime.

    Finally, on Illegal immigration, again no surprise. Part and parcel of the two part plan the Democrats have. Oppose our President on any and all matters, regardless of how worthy they are as part of their Trump derangement syndrome, in a hopefully futile attempt to remove him from office or defeat him in 2020. Secondly, to swell the population of the country with dependent people who will feel obliged to vote Democrat in order to cement their power into perpetuity. All of course at no cost to them but on us, the citizen taxpayer.

    How does he sleep at night?

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