Roll Call! Senate Votes to Amend Vermont Constitution to Remove References to Slavery (28-1), 2019

 

. PR.2 – DECLARATION OF RIGHTS ELIMINATING REFERENCE TO SLAVERY . PASSED in the State Senate on April 24, 2019 by a vote of 28-1 . Purpose:  To amend the Constitution of the State of Vermont to eliminate reference to slavery. . Analysis: PR.2 doesn’t actually do anything, as the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawed slavery in 1865. Moreover, Vermont’s Constitution was the first to outlaw slavery. Those voting YES believe that this symbolic statement reaffirming our principles to racial equality will be beneficial to current race relations. . Those voting NO believe that altering the original language prohibiting slavery in the Constitution would have the effect of putting a “smiley face” that on troubling period of US history when slavery was still legal. . Senate Journal, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. “Shall the Senate adopt the 2nd Proposal of Amendment to the Constitution of Vermont (as amended) as recommended by the Committee on Government Operations and request the concurrence of the House? was decided in the affirmative on a roll call, pursuant to the Vermont Constitution and Rule 80, Yeas 28, Nays 1 (the necessary two-thirds vote having been attained).” (Read the Journal, p. 596-598) How They Voted Timothy Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) – YES Becca Balint (D-Windham) – YES Philip Baruth (D-Chittenden) – YES Joseph Benning (R-Caledonia) – YES Christopher Bray (D-Addison) – YES Randy Brock (R-Franklin) – YES Brian Campion (D-Bennington) – YES Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) – YES Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) – YES Ann Cummings (D-Washington) – YES Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) – YES Cheryl Hooker (D-Rutland) – YES Debbie Ingram (D-Chittendent) – YES   M. Jane Kitchel (D-Caledonia) – YES Virginia Lyons (D-Chittenden) – YES Mark MacDonald (D-Orange) – YES Richard Mazza (D-Chittenden-Grand Isle) – YES Richard McCormack (D-Windsor) – NO James McNeil (R-Rutland) – ABSENT Alice Nitka (D-Windsor District) – YES Corey Parent (R-Franklin) – YES Chris Pearson (P-Chittenden) – YES Andrew Perchlik (D-Washington) – YES Anthony Pollina (P/D/W-Washington) – YES John Rodgers (D-Essex-Orleans) – YES Richard Sears (D-Bennington) – YES Michael Sirotkin (D-Chittenden) – YES Robert Starr (D-Essex-Orleans) – YES Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) – YES Jeanette White (D-Windham) – YES Not yet signed up? Join the EAI email list today.