This commentary is by Nader Hashim of Dummerston, a former state legislator, former state trooper, and a Democratic candidate for the state Senate. He works at a law firm in Brattleboro.
In 2019, the Legislature began deliberating over protecting abortion rights both in statute and through a constitutional amendment.
Fortunately, enshrining a woman’s access to reproductive health care was placed into law, but not until after a series of peculiar and hostile attempts to weaken the bill.
As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I spent a significant amount of time discussing the different provisions within H.57, also known as “an act preserving the right to abortion.” During this time, we heard testimony from people who compared women to kangaroos and shared debunked conspiracy theories as if they were facts.
Unsurprisingly, almost all of the testimony we received in opposition to protecting abortion rights came from men.
Despite the pushback, the bill survived and was signed into law as Act 47. Parallel to this bill was the longer process of creating a constitutional amendment to further protect bodily autonomy, specifically a woman’s access to abortion. That long process is nearing its end and will be concluded in November, when the amendment to our constitution is finally voted on by the people of Vermont.
This change to our constitution is more commonly known as Prop 5.
The longer process of creating a constitutional amendment requires going through two legislative sessions. We passed Prop 5 when I was in the House, and now it has made its way through to the second legislative session. Fortunately, the House of Representatives passed Prop 5 earlier this month.
I know that Vermonters often like to take comfort in that we lead the way in progressive causes and actions. However, we should never overlook the danger that is complacency. We cannot expect this measure to pass unless we make sure we spend the time at the ballot box and encourage our friends and neighbors to do the same.
The reason Vermont has always led the way for the right reasons is because our communities are active, involved, and dedicated to equity.
November may feel like a long way away, but I urge voters to make sure they plan to visit the ballot box and vote to support Prop 5. As a state, we have come a long way in protecting access to reproductive health care and abortion. We are now in the homestretch to ensure this right, and it is up to the voters to guarantee this amendment is made to our constitution.