Proposal 5 (Article 22)
BALLOT LANGUAGE
WHAT IT MEANS
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST
YES
- "Prop 5 will add Article 22 to our state constitution, expcicitly enshrining our reproductive rights and preventing future state legislatures from restricting our reproductive autonomy." ACLU Vermont
- "If passed, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment will amend Vermont's Constitution to protect every person's right to make personal medical decisions with their health care providers and other experts on issues relating to accessing abortion services, birth control, vasectomies, and gender-affirming healthcare." “Vt nonprofit to release podcast on abortion care, endorses Reproductive Liberty Amendment,” vermontbiz.com, April 28, 2022
- "Important medical decisions should be guided by a patient's health and wellbeing, not by a politician's beliefs. But for far too long, politicians across the country have been fighting to restrict reproductive health care, and now they are gaining ground." Vermont for Reproductive Liberty IE PAC
- "The Reproductive Liberty Amendment would protect every Vermonter’s right to make their own reproductive decisions, like whether and when to become a parent, use temporary or permanent birth control, or seek abortion care." Lucy Leriche, Vice President of Vermont Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE).
NO
- "The amendment strips any opportunity for future legislatures to legally protect an unborn baby at any time throughout all nine months of pregnancy. While 215 plants and animals have legal protection in Vermont, unborn children will not be protected under Proposal 5, exposing them exposed to scientific experimentation, sale of baby body parts, and much more." Maggie Kerrin “Don’t be Hoodwinked! Vote NO on Proposal 5/Article 22,” Vermont Right to Life Committee, May 6, 2022
- "The importance of conscience protection for health care workers, most often in the context of permitting hospital staff to request to be excused from participation in abortions, has broad public support and is endorsed by the Vermont Medical Society. Yet few have addressed the current risks of erosion of those rights of conscience in Vermont if Proposal 5, the 'reproductive liberty amendment,' were to become a part of our state’s constitution." Rep. Anne Donahue, Washington-1 (Northfield, Berlin) “Donahue: Proposal 5 threatens health care provider conscience protection,” Vermont Daily Chronicle, January 6, 2022
- "That the language fails to define 'Personal Reproductive Autonomy' is a major problem. This term is not defined in Vermont or federal law and is so open-ended it could mean many things. If it was meant to protect abortion rights, it should have said so. If it is intended to protect other 'reproductive rights,' it should have spelled them out. Because it is so vague, we don’t know what the repercussions of Article 22 will be." Norm Smith, esq. "Prop 5/Article 22 is a Can of Unintended Consequences,” Vermonters for Good Government
- "Even proponents of Prop. 5 have admitted
that the full impact of this amendment will not be seen until it is
clarified through the courts." Phyllis Harkonen “What is Prop 5?”Vermont Catholic, originally published in the Dec. 11-17, 2021, edition of The Inland See.
- "Girls and women aborting their babies – up until the moment of birth. Three-parent embryo creation. Surrogacy trafficking. Minors obtaining 'transgender' drugs, hormones and surgeries – without parental consent. ...
Kauffman and Vermont Family Alliance also explain that the proposed amendment is vague, not even defining 'personal reproductive autonomy.' In addition to obtaining abortions, minors would have access to contraception, hormone blockers, opposite sex hormones and 'transgender' surgeries, without parental knowledge or consent." Jeff Johnston “Pro-Life Groups Fight Vermont Abortion Constitutional Amendment – Here’s How You Can Help,” Daily Citizen, June 29, 2022
ENDORSEMENTS
YES
Human Rights Campaign PAC (Liberal)
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Vermont (Liberal)
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (Liberal)
League of Women Voters of Vermont (Liberal)
Vermont Business Magazine Population Media Center (PMC) (Liberal)
NO
Vermont Right to Life (VRLC) (Conservative)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington (Conservative)
Vermonters for Good Government (Conservative)
Vermont Family Alliance (Conservative)
FINANCIAL BACKING
The following information provides insight into the money being spent to pass or defeat the ballot measure.
YES
Committees formed to SUPPORT Proposal 5:
VERMONT FOR REPRODUCTIVE LIBERTY
Selected Contributions TO Vermont for Reproductive Liberty include:
- Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund, Colchester, VT
- ACLU, Washington, DC
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Washington, DC
- Sixteen Thirty Fund, Washington, DC
- Constance Beaty, Dorset, VT
- Donna and Jake Carpenter, Stowe, VT
- People for Progressive Governance, Phoenix, AZ
- Abigail D. Faulkner, Montpelier, VT
- ACLU, Montpelier, VT
- Rene Reiner and Michael DeSanto, Milton, VT
- Anne Faulkner and Bob King, Keene, NH
- Kathleen Fisher, Manchester, VT
NO
Committees formed to OPPOSE Proposition 5:
VERMONT RIGHT TO LIFE POLITICAL COMMITTEE
Selected Contributions TO Vermont Right to Life Political Committee include:
- Michele Morin, Burlington, VT
- Sharon Toborg, Barre, VT
- Joanna Ellis-Monaghan, Grand Isle, VT
VERMONT RIGHT TO LIFE COMMITTEE, INC.
Selected Contributions TO Vermont Right to Life Committee, Inc. include:
- Ladies of St Vincent, Newport Center, VT
- Michael and Pam Lewis - Pastor, North Hampton, NH
- Robert and Madonna Searing, Bomoseen, VT
- Steve and Monique Milton, Curran, VT
- Douglas A. and Katie Brukardt, Northfield, VT
- Stephen W. Webster, Randolph, VT
- Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Boston, MA
- Michael and Michelle Desranleau, Milton, VT
- Jill Lord, Cornish, NH
- Elizabeth Bumps, Derby, VT
- Claude and Donna Chevalier, Highgate Center, VT
- Louis and Diane St Cyr, Underhill, VT
VERMONTERS FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT
Selected Contributions TO Vermonters for Good Government include:
- Lenore
Broughton, Burlington, VT
-
Roman
Catholic Diocese of Burlington, South Burlington, VT
- Carol
Breuer, Stowe,
VT
- Paul & Patti
Verderese, Auburn, MA
-
Knights
of Columbus Council, Middlebury, VT
- Timothy
Naples, South
Burlington, VT
- Aline
Sweet, Cambridge, VT
- Joan
Sanborn, Morgan, VT
- Paul
Jansen, Saint
Albans, VT
- Rick Kenyon, Brattleboro, VT
- David
Chenette, Milton, VT
- Walter
Weld, Dover, MA