This commentary was written by Dr. Harry Chen, the former Vermont health commissioner and emergency physician. He is the treasurer of the Vermont for Reproductive Liberty Ballot Committee.
As Election Day nears, it is important for all Vermonters to exercise their right to vote. Vote for your preferred candidates and be sure to vote yes on the abortion amendment known as Article 22 or Proposal 5. Article 22, also known as the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, is an amendment to the Vermont Constitution that will enshrine reproductive autonomy for generations of Vermonters to come. If passed by you, the voters, it will protect every person’s right to make their own reproductive decisions, like whether and when to become pregnant, use birth control or seek abortion care.
Vermont already enjoys access to reproductive health care, including abortion. As an emergency physician and former health commissioner for the state, I know that access to reproductive health care is essential to public health and importantly, these personal and private decisions rest firmly with Vermonters in consultation with their health care providers. That is the point; we do not want politicians and government coming between people and their private health care decisions, as we are seeing in much of the country.
Reproductive health care in many states is in chaos as doctors consider the legal ramifications of their usual care. It is last thing we want to be thinking about when lives are at stake. Article 22 will prevent future legislatures from meddling with reproductive health care.
There is nothing nefarious or radical about Article 22, as some would like you to believe. It was passed by two separate legislatures and has the support of the major party candidates for governor and lieutenant governor. All of them trust Vermonters to make the right choice when it comes to their own reproductive health. What is radical is the idea that politicians could make these important health care decisions for us!
If Article 22 passes, Vermonters will continue to have access to common sense private reproductive health care. It merely reinforces the status quo. The same safeguards we have today to ensure safe, effective and private reproductive health care will be there tomorrow.
There are no “abortions until birth” today and there won’t be tomorrow. Abortions later in pregnancy will continue to be very rare and based primarily on serious health risks to the mother or fetus.
Your vote for Article 22 will send the clear message that Vermont will protect reproductive rights and the ability to make one’s own decisions on issues affecting their lives and their health. Passing Article 22 makes a clear statement that Vermont trusts its citizens and their health care providers to make medical decisions without government interference. Vote YES today if early voting or on Election Day, Nov. 8.