Edited, November 8, 2022: Vermont voters made history by passing Proposal 5, which enshrines reproductive autonomy in Vermont as a constitutional and fundamental right for all. Read our victory statement here.
Edited, October 11, 2022: Read our latest explainer on the amendment, Here's what you should know about Vermont's Reproductive Liberty Amendment.
The right to decide if or when to become a parent is critical to an individual’s self-determination. We are witnessing a nationwide threat to reproductive liberty, making state-level protections vital to safeguarding people’s access to reproductive health care. Vermont can set an example of what is possible by codifying reproductive autonomy as a constitutional and fundamental right for all.
The Reproductive Liberty Amendment, also known as Proposition 5, is both a simple and profound affirmation of our values – values that Vermonters have cherished for generations. If passed, Prop 5 will add Article 22 to our state constitution, expcicitly enshrining our reproductive rights and preventing future state legislatures from restricting our reproductive autonomy. We’re counting on you to help us make this happen.
After a four-year long deliberative process, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment cleared its final legislative hurdle in February 2022 and will be on the ballot for voters in November.
The amendment reads:
PROPOSAL 5
To see if the voters will amend the Vermont Constitution by adding Article 22 to read:
Article 22. [Personal reproductive liberty] That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.
If approved by the voters in November, this amendment ensures that individual Vermonters can choose for themselves whether and when to become a parent, use temporary or permanent birth control, or seek abortion care – without interference from politicians.
We are calling on Vermonters committed to protecting this fundamental right to get involved in the campaign to pass the Reproductive Liberty Amendment.
