Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund Celebrates the Passage of the Reproductive Liberty Amendment
For Immediate Release: Nov. 8, 2022
Colchester, VT – Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund celebrates the passage of the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, or Proposal 5. The passage of Proposal 5 will ensure that Vermonters’ reproductive decisions are theirs to make without interference from politicians.
Statement from Lucy Leriche, Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund:
“Vermonters have spoken, and they have been clear about their support for reproductive rights. Every Vermonter should have the right to make their own reproductive decisions, like whether and when to become pregnant, carry a pregnancy to term, use temporary or permanent birth control, or seek abortion care. By passing the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, Vermont has ensured that the rights we rely on today won’t change tomorrow. Vermont voters stood up for reproductive freedom, for ourselves, our neighbors, and future generations.”
Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
“Across the country, in state after state, voters made it clear that they demand the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions. Vermonters today made history by approving Prop 5 and guaranteeing the explicit right to reproductive liberty for all in the state constitution. We’re grateful to the broad coalition of partners and organizations, who made this victory possible and hope Vermont can serve as an example of what it means to truly champion and honor individual liberty and the right to control our own bodies.”
At a time when politicians in half of the states in the country are moving to ban or severely restrict abortion access, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment will protect the full spectrum of reproductive health care, including abortion and contraception, and will ensure that important, personal health care decisions remain between patients and doctors, not politicians.
Amending the constitution in Vermont takes many years. The Reproductive Liberty Amendment was first introduced in the legislature in 2019. Since then, it has been thoughtfully considered by legislators over the course of four years, has been discussed at two public hearings, and passed with overwhelming tri-partisan support by two consecutive legislatures.
The decision to become pregnant can be one of the most important decisions we make. We should all have the freedom to plan our futures, and choose for ourselves whether and when to have children.
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About Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund (PPVTAF): PPVTAF is a non-partisan, non-profit organization formed as the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. The Action Fund engages in educational activity, including legislative advocacy, and grassroots organizing.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy, and limited electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.