Following a similar move in New York, Vermont legislators are considering a bill that would guarantee the state’s abortion rights remain intact if Roe v. Wade is overturned. A public hearing packed the Statehouse Wednesday evening as proponents and opponents expressed their opinions on the measure.
The committees on Human Services and on Judiciary hosted the hearing on the act ‘relating to preserving the right to abortion’ in the House chamber. Human Services Chair Anne Pugh tolerated no nonsense from the gathered crowd. “I want to remind the person in the back row of the gallery that there are no signs and I would ask the officer to please take sign away.”
Pugh was determined to keep the proceedings civil. “This is the Vermont Statehouse. This is not a play so we don’t clap. This is not a sporting event so we don’t hoot and holler. This is a very emotional and personal issue and you’re going to hear things that you disagree with. Please keep your disagreement to yourself. You’re going to hear things that you agree with. Keep your agreement to yourself. You may hear things that you think are not factually accurate and you want to correct it. You can do so in writing.”
Two hours were allocated for testimony, which alternated equally between proponents and opponents. Comments were strictly limited to 2 minutes. Some individuals offered oft-repeated talking points while others challenged provisions of the bill. Some were religiously zealous and others offered heartfelt stories. Dorothy Bolduc of St. Albans recounted her mother’s admonition about becoming pregnant. "If you get pregnant you will have a baby. If you get an abortion you still have a baby. You have a dead baby. So the time for choices is before pregnancy. H.57 only protects the abortion industry."
Clerk: “Rick Moulton.”
Moulton: “I’m here to testify in support of H.57. For us men to sit in judgment on a woman’s choice is wrong and for the state to legislate control over a woman’s choice I think is unconstitutional.”
Clerk: “Jennifer Hoult.”
Hoult: “Hi. I’m a certified rape crisis counselor and I’m a rape survivor. I hold a degree in religion and I’m a Christian. My God grants free will and reproductive choice. I never had an abortion but I support the women who have including my mother who had an abortion before Roe v. Wade. Please pass H.57 now to protect women from the abhorrent evil of slavery.
Clerk: “Robert Haverick."
Haverick: “Thank you. Satan’s pawns are carrying out his evil agenda and he calls it choice. H.57 or Horrible-57 is an abortion murder bill.”
Sue Burton of Burlington cautioned that restricting abortion will not end it. “It will make it unsafe. A hundred years ago my great-aunt Nettie died of an illegal abortion. Please do not send us back to those days.”
Pamela Lerner of Warren took a moment to remind everyone that the proposed legislation would not change established law. “This law would only continue the current legal status of abortion in Vermont. It does not change access.”
Audio of the Statehouse hearing on Vermont’s bill to preserve the right to abortion is courtesy of the live webstreamprovided by ORCA Media in Montpelier.
