Vermont Wants To Pass A Bill Affirming Abortion As A Right

Fuck yeah, Vermont!

Vermont, which I will not make a Pepperidge Farm joke about, could pass a bill affirming abortion as a right for all women in the state:

The bill, S 315, introduced by state Sens. Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden),
Christopher Bray (D-Addison), Sally Fox (D-Chittenden), Virginia Lyons
(D-Chittenden), Dick McCormack (D-Windsor), and David Zuckerman
(P-Chittenden), would repeal old Vermont statutes still on the books
that criminalize performing abortion or advertising about abortion
services. While those statutes pre-date Roe v. Wade and are thus
unenforceable, the new bill states that repealing them would “serve as
an important legislative action in support of a woman’s reproductive
rights as well as help a health care provider to perform an abortion
without fear of criminal liability.”

Yes. Goddamn yes to all of this. It’s about fucking time one of our states got their shit together when it comes to our reproductive rights.

According to the article, a similar bill in Vermont died in committee last year. That bill also “specifically guaranteed a woman’s unrestricted right to terminate her pregnancy.” And good news for New York!

Gov. Andrew Cuomo affirmed his support on Wednesday for all ten points of the Women’s Equality Act, which failed to pass the generally anti-choice state senate last year because one of the points would have codified Roe v. Wade into state law. The legislature is expected to take up the measure again this year.

Let’s all take a moment and raise our glasses to that long list of legislators mentioned up there who are trying to get this passed. Let’s hope that we get a lot more like them in a lot of other places across our country as well.