Roll Call! Senate Advances Constitutional Amendment Guaranteeing Abortion from Conception to Birth (26-4), 2021

PASSED
in the State Senate on April 9, 2021 by a vote of
26-4

Purpose: Proposal 5 would amend the Vermont Constitution to say 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.”

Analysis: There is a concern that the United States Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, in which case legal decisions about abortion will be left to the states. Those voting YES believe that unrestricted access to an abortion at any time during a pregnancy from conception to birth should be a constitutional right.

Those voting NO believe that the rights of an unborn child deserve at least some consideration under law, and that the language of this Amendment are too vague to be reliably enforced. For example, an amendment ostensibly designed to enshrine abortion rights doesn’t even include the word “abortion.”

Senate Journal, Friday, April 9, 2021. “Thereupon, the pending question, Shall the Senate concur in the adoption by the preceding General Assembly of Proposal 5 for the amendment of the Constitution of the State of Vermont, and request the concurrence of the House? was decided in the affirmative on roll call pursuant to Rule 83, Yeas, 26, Nays 4 (the necessary majority vote having been attained).” (Read the Journal p.472 - 473)

These roll call reports are designed to help citizens understand how their elected representatives vote on key issues. The bills may or may not eventually become law. Click on the link to the bill page at the top of this post for an up to date status on the bill.

How They Voted

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
Thomas Chittenden (D-Chittenden) – YES
Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) – YES
Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) – NO
Ann Cummings (D-Washington) – YES
Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) – YES
Cheryl Hooker (D-Rutland) – YES
Russ Ingalls (R-Essex-Orleans) – NO
M. Jane Kitchel (D-Caledonia) – YES
Virginia Lyons (D-Chittenden) – YES
Mark MacDonald (D-Orange) – YES
Richard Mazza (D-Chittenden-Grand Isle) – NO
Richard McCormack (D-Windsor) – YES
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-Washington) – YES
Kesha Ram (D-Chittenden) – YES
Richard Sears (D-Bennington) – YES
Michael Sirotkin (D-Chittenden) – YES
Robert Starr (D-Essex-Orleans) – NO
Joshua Terenzini (R-Rutland) – NO
Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) – YES
Jeanette White (D-Windham) – YES

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