Vermonters to vote on adding abortion rights to state Constitution

Montpelier, Vermont – The Vermont House approved Proposal 5 on Tuesday, sending the matter of amending the state's Constitution to include reproductive liberty to voters.

On Tuesday, the Vermont House approved Proposal 5, sending it to the ballot in November for Vermonters' final say.
On Tuesday, the Vermont House approved Proposal 5, sending it to the ballot in November for Vermonters' final say.  © Collage: IMAGO/Loop Images & ZUMA Wire

In a 107-41 vote, the Vermont House passed the proposal, also known as the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, according to the VTDigger.

The amendment itself looks to constitutionally guarantee Vermont residents' access to safe abortions, contraceptives, and other reproductive healthcare matters.

Now that the proposal has been approved by the state House, its fate lies in the hands of Vermonters on Election Day.

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If passed by voters, Proposal 5 would amend the state's constitution to legally protect a woman's right to abortion, while states – such as Texas – have been working to nearly eradicate such access.

Should Vermont's state Constitution be amended to protect women's access to abortions, it'll make it quite challenging to roll back in the future.

According to Ballotpedia, Proposal 5 was introduced in 2019 by four Vermont Senators: Timothy Ashe, Becca Balint, Virginia Lyons, and Richard Sears.

On April 4, 2019, the proposal was approved by the Vermont Senate in a 28-2 vote, and on May 7, 2019, it was approved in the state's House with a 106-38 vote.

These votes gave the proposal some oxygen, as it needed another round of approvals from the Vermont General Assembly in order to appear on voters' ballots.

Nearly two years later, the proposal was revisited and approved in a 26-4 vote by the state's Senate on April 9, 2021.

This led to the Vermont House's vote of approval on Tuesday.

Following the vote, Rep. Peter Welch tweeted a message of support for the proposal, writing, "This is a huge step forward. I applaud the legislators and advocates that worked so hard to get us here."

The fate of Proposal 5 will be in Vermonters' hands on November 8.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/Loop Images & ZUMA Wire

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