Vermont leaders speak out after Texas abortion law ruling

Lt. Gov. Gray: ‘Catastrophic step backwards’ for reproductive justice 

By Lt. Gov. Molly Gray

Editor’s Note: Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray on Thursday, Sept. 2, released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to block a controversial new Texas law from going into effect that would ban abortions after six weeks. 

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray/courtesy photo

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the death of [former U.S. Supreme Court] Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we are witnessing a catastrophic step backward in the fight for reproductive justice in our country. An attack on the right to choose to have an abortion in any corner of the United States is an attack on reproductive justice for all Americans. My heart is with the people of Texas, who are now subject to the most restrictive abortion legislation in the country. 

Here in Vermont, we must remain diligent in our efforts to adopt Proposition 5, amending our state constitution to ensure that the right to personal reproductive autonomy is protected for all Vermonters.  

Further, I urge Congress to do everything in its power to enshrine Roe v. Wade into federal law. This starts with passing the Women’s Health Protection Act, putting an end to state bans on reproductive freedoms.   

This day should serve as a wake-up call to women across this country. Representation matters on the court and in our legislatures. We cannot take personal health and safety for granted. We cannot allow our personal liberties, particularly those concerning our own bodies, to be rolled back. We’ve come too far. We cannot go back.

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Legislative leaders vow to pass Prop. 5, Vt. constitutional amendment

Editor’s note: On Thursday, Sept. 2, Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, and Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Brattleboro, issued the following statement after Texas enacts a sweeping ban on abortion and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a challenge to it.  

By Rep. Jill Krowinski and Sen. Rebecca Balint

It has been a stunning 24 hours as we watched one of the greatest affronts to the reproductive rights of individuals in Texas. We were all hopeful that the Supreme Court would see this for what it is, a clear violation of the federal constitutional right to obtain an abortion. These actions will surely spur legislative action restricting access to reproductive health care, and we wanted to make sure Vermonters and all Americans know that Vermont is doing everything we can to protect reproductive rights. 

In Vermont, we believe that health care decisions should be made by an individual and a health care provider. We have known that attacks on reproductive liberty would not stop, and in recent years we have taken steps to protect this right. 

In 2019, Act 47, also known as the Freedom of Choice Act, became law. The Freedom of Choice Act recognizes the fundamental right of every individual to have an abortion if they choose, restricts any interference or denial of abortion services to an individual, and protects health care providers that provide this compassionate care. 

Our current work is the most significant way we can protect this right and let all Vermonters know how fundamental this right is: amending the Vermont Constitution. In 2019, the Legislature began the process to amend the Constitution. The Senate passed Prop. 5 last year, and this January when the Legislature returns for the second half of the biennium, the House will immediately take up this work. The Constitution is our founding legal document. It articulates the values that we share as a society. We can think of no better way to show our commitment to personal reproductive liberty than a constitutional amendment. 

Stripping away an individual's reproductive right is not about a difference of opinion in health care policy, it’s about controlling certain populations and their ability to make decisions that impact their lives. We know that those who have the means to leave Texas to seek abortion services will do so, but those communities that do not have the resources will be left traumatized by the inability to receive the care they need and deserve. As legislative leaders in Vermont, we want to show that there is another way and that we can do more to provide these services and ensure they are forever protected. We hope other states will follow our path and enact laws that protect personal reproductive liberty and allow individuals to make their own health care decisions.