PUTNEY — Beware of what you read. Voters in Vermont are being inundated by false information about Article 22. Here is what you need to know:
• Article 22 has been in the works for four years now by Democrats in the Vermont House and Senate.
• It was started by lawmakers who foresaw that Roe v. Wade might be overturned.
• The language of this Article 22 was carefully crafted by a team of lawyers to make it extremely sturdy legislation.
• Article 22 changes no laws currently in place in Vermont.
• Instead, Article 22 codifies the current law, meaning that to change those laws, you'd have to change the constitution of Vermont, a multi-year process.
• Article 22 purposely does not mention women or abortion, instead striving to protect all people and all reproductive health care decisions (including those of women and including abortion access).
Reproductive health care decisions should be made between an individual and their health care provider. Government has no role in these decisions. This proposed constitutional amendment protects Vermonters' abilities to make those decisions without governmental interference.
Your vote is important. Vermonters are being slammed with misinformation from anti-choice groups. These groups are designing their propaganda to be deceptive and misleading.
The majority of Vermonters support the reproductive health laws already in place in Vermont. Article 22 simply strengthens the standing of those laws.
Don't be fooled. Do your own research. And please vote.