Vermont Seeks to Enshrine ‘Personal Reproductive Autonomy’ into State Constitution This Fall
In this year’s upcoming midterm elections, citizens in the state of Vermont will vote on a ballot measure that, if approved, would enshrine “personal reproductive autonomy” in the state’s constitution.
Earlier this year, the uber-liberal Vermont state legislature voted to put Proposal 5/Article 22 on the ballot this fall for their citizens to vote on. The legislature voted in favor of the proposal by a vote of 28 to 2 in the Senate and 106 to 38 in the House.
Proposal 5, to be considered this November by the citizens of Vermont, would add Article 22 to the Vermont Constitution. It says:
That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.
The means that a woman will be able to legally, as a “constitutional right” in the state, abort her preborn baby throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Vermont already has a law on the books permitting abortion up until birth. However, if Article 22 passes, it will be far more difficult for the right to life to ever be restored in the state of Vermont.
The Daily Citizen spoke with Carol Kauffman, a spokesperson for Vermont Family Alliance, who told us of the various dangers that Article 22 proposes.
“The vagueness of Article 22 goes far beyond Roe v. Wade and what most consider reasonable, without informing Vermonters of the costs to the taxpayers and families or to potential impacts on Vermont’s children,” Kauffman said.
“Proponents of Prop 5/Article 22 have refused public debate that Article 22 would erode the rights of parents and allow unknown adults to usurp the role of parents. Article 22 would allow children to make adult decisions without court protection or oversight and allow minors to be transported across state lines into Vermont to access state constitutional ‘reproductive autonomy’ rights – putting children across America in harm’s way.”
Focus on the Family opposes Article 22. If you live in the state of Vermont, please vote No on Article 22 on November 8!
As Kaufmann correctly warns, the proposal will also likely have several other negative effects if approved by the people.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Article 22 would require the following:
- Guaranteed unregulated late-term abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy up to the day of birth.
- The removal of “conscience protection” for healthcare workers, meaning more doctors and nurses would avoid working in Vermont, creating more staffing shortages.
- Elimination of parental rights concerning children’s sexual and gender related choices.
In other words, if Vermont adopts Article 22, minors would also be permitted to receive “transgender” drugs, hormones, and surgeries without parental consent.
How can Americans who opposed Article 22 can get involved? Kaufmann explained, “Pray for us!”
Supporters of life and parents’ rights can find more information at Vermont Family Alliance and Vermonters for Good Government.
And if you live in Vermont, vote no on Article 22 on November 8!
Related articles:
Pro-Life Groups Fight Vermont Abortion Constitutional Amendment – Here’s How You Can Help
Photo from Shutterstock.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zachary Mettler is a writer/analyst for the Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Mettler earned his Bachelor’s degree from William Jessup University and is an alumnus of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. In addition to the Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in the Daily Wire, the Washington Times, the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Townhall, the Daily Signal, the Christian Post, Charisma News and other outlets.
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