Roe v. Wade has been overturned. What does that mean for Vermont?
The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade Friday in their issued Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, rolling back the federal protection to abortion access that has been legal precedent for 50 years.
The 6-3 decision was supported entirely by Republican-appointed judges, who hold a majority in the court.
After the ruling, abortion became effectively illegal in several states due to "trigger laws," or laws previously passed that would outlaw abortion once the Dobbs ruling was issued. Over a dozen states are likely to make abortion illegal in the coming days and weeks.
However, abortion remains legal in Vermont, and Act47 of 2019 prohibits Vermont government agencies from depriving "a consenting individual of the choice of terminating the individual’s pregnancy."
EarlierAfter early draft on Roe v. Wade is leaked, Vermont politicians push for Proposition 5
Later this year, Vermont might become the first state in the country to include abortion rights in its constitution. In November's general election, Vermonters will vote on the constitutional amendment known as Proposal 5, or the "Reproductive Liberty Amendment."
The amendment, as adopted by the Senate, asserts that "The right to reproductive liberty is central to the exercise of personal autonomy and involves decisions people should be able to make free from compulsion of the State."
Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, said in a statement that he will be voting in favor of the amendment.
Vermont politicians and organizations react to the Supreme Court decision
Vermonters reacted quickly and intensely to the Supreme Court decision.
Rallies for abortion rights were announced for Friday in Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Montpelier and Rutland.
Officials including Acting Attorney General Joshua Diamond, House Speaker Jill Krowinski, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy put out press releases opposing the Supreme Court decision.
The decision was supported by the anti-abortion group Vermont Right to Life Committee.
“Extremist proponents of abortion rights in Vermont will use the Supreme Court decision to attempt to rally support for passage of Proposal 5/Article 22," said Mary Hahn Beerworth of Vermont Right to Life in a press release. "Proponents must not be allowed to mislead Vermonters into believing that ‘Article 22 is needed,’ or that the amendment simply ‘codifies Roe v. Wade,’ when in fact the amendment far exceeds the holding in Roe."
The Supreme Court decision was denounced in a press release by a coalition of 13 Vermont health care organizations, including the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, Physician Assistant Academy of Vermont, University of Vermont Health Network, Vermont Medical Society, and Vermont Nurse Practitioners Association.
"This decision takes away the right to control our bodies and personal health care decisions, giving it to politicians in individual states, which will leave many without access to safe, legal abortion," Planned Parenthood of Northern New England wrote on its website following the Supreme Court announcement.
About 70% of Vermonters said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center. Four percent said they don't know and 26% said abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
Contact April Fisher at amfisher@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AMFisherMedia
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Abortion is legal in Vermont: How officials are responding to Dobbs
