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Abortion in Vermont

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Abortion in Vermont is legal at all stages of pregnancy. A 2014 Pew Research Center poll showed 70% of adults in the state believed abortion should be legal in most or all cases, the second highest percentage in the country.[1] The state funds abortions deemed medically necessary for low-income women via Medicaid.[2]

In November 2022, voters overwhelmingly passed Proposal 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, becoming the first U.S state to amend their constitution to explicitly include protections for abortion rights.[3][4][5]

History

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Legislative history

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By the end of the 1800s, all states in the Union except Louisiana had medical exceptions in their legislative bans on abortions.[6] In the 19th century, bans on abortion by state legislatures were largely about protecting the life of the mother given the number of deaths caused by abortions; state governments saw themselves as looking out for the lives of their citizens.[6]

As of 2013, California, Oregon, Montana, Vermont, and New Hampshire allow qualified non-physician health professionals, such as physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives, to do first-trimester aspiration abortions and to prescribe drugs for medical abortions.[7]

In February 2019, Vermont House Human Services and Judiciary committees held public hearings about abortion in relation to H.57, a bill to establish reproductive rights in state law. Proposal 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, an amendment to the state constitution to codify abortion rights, was passed by the state senate.[8][9] Receiving endorsements from Republican Governor Phil Scott, Planned Parenthood, and ACLU Vermont, the amendment went before voters in November 2022 and overwhelmingly passed, with about 77% voting in favor. [3][4][10]

Amendment text

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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.

— Chapter 1, Article 22 of the Vermont Constitution.

Judicial history

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In 1972, the Vermont Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively ended abortion restrictions in the state.[6] The US Supreme Court's decision in 1973's Roe v. Wade meant the state could no longer regulate abortion in the first trimester.[6] The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022, returning the matter to the states.[11][12]

Clinic history

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Number of abortion clinics in Vermont by year
See also: Abortion clinic

Between 1982 and 1992, the number of abortion clinics in the state declined by three, going from nineteen in 1982 to sixteen in 1992.[13] In 2014, there were six abortion clinics in the state.[14] 64% of the counties in the state did not have an abortion clinic. That year, 38% of women in the state aged 15–44 lived in a county without an abortion clinic.[15] In 2017, there were twelve Planned Parenthood clinics, of which six offered abortion services, in a state with a population of 136,459 women aged 15–49.[16]

Statistics

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In the period between 1972 and 1974, there were zero recorded illegal abortion deaths in the state.[17] In 1990, 67,000 women in the state faced the risk of an unintended pregnancy.[13] In 2013, among white women aged 15–19, there were 190 abortions, 0 abortions for black women aged 15–19, 10 abortions for Hispanic women aged 15–19, and 10 abortions for women of all other races.[18] In 2014, 70% of adults said in a poll by the Pew Research Center that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.[1] In 2017, the state had an infant mortality rate of 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.[19]

Number of reported abortions, abortion rate and percentage change in rate by geographic region and state in 1992, 1995 and 1996[20]
Census division and state Number Rate % change 1992–1996
Year 1992 1995 1996 1992 1995 1996
Total 1,528,930 1,363,690 1,365,730 25.9 22.9 22.9 –12
New England 78,360 71,940 71,280 25.2 23.6 23.5 –7
Connecticut 19,720 16,680 16,230 26.2 23 22.5 –14
Maine 4,200 2,690 2,700 14.7 9.6 9.7 –34
Massachusetts 40,660 41,190 41,160 28.4 29.2 29.3 3
New Hampshire 3,890 3,240 3,470 14.6 12 12.7 –13
Rhode Island 6,990 5,720 5,420 30 25.5 24.4 –19
Number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions for Vermont, by reporting area of residence and occurrence, with percentage of abortions obtained by out-of-state residents, US CDC estimates
By Reported Residence Occurrence % obtained by

out-of-state residents

Year Ref
Number Rate^ Ratio^^ Number Rate^ Ratio^^
1,161 10.0 189 1,235 10.6 201 6.8 2014 [21]
1,121 9.7 190 1,265 10.9 214 12.4 2015 [22]
1,131 9.9 196 1,298 11.3 226 14.1 2016 [23]
^number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44; ^^number of abortions per 1,000 live births

Abortion financing

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17 states including Vermont use their own funds to cover all or most medically necessary abortions sought by low-income women under Medicaid, 13 of which are required by State court orders to do so.[2] In 2010, the state had 699 publicly funded abortions, of which all were state funded and none were federally funded.[24]

Abortion rights views and activities

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Protests

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Montpelier, Vermont - Women's March.

Throughout the 2000s, women from the state participated in marches supporting abortion rights. One march was a part of a #StoptheBans movement in May 2019.[25][26]

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, abortion rights protests were held in multiple cities in Vermont, including Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Montpelier and Rutland, Vermont.[27]

Anti-abortion views and activities

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Violence

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In May 1977, a clinic in Burlington, Vermont was destroyed by a fire, resulting in its closure for seven months.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Views about abortion by state - Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics | Pew Research Center". Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Francis Roberta W. "Frequently Asked Questions". Equal Rights Amendment. Alice Paul Institute. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Lefrak, Mikaela (November 9, 2022). "Vermont votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution". NPR. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Seddiq, Hannah Getahun, Isabella Zavarise, Oma. "RESULTS: Vermont overwhelmingly votes to protect reproductive autonomy, including abortion". Business Insider. Retrieved November 10, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Duffort, Lola (November 8, 2022). "Vermont becomes the 1st state to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution". VTDigger. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Buell, Samuel (January 1, 1991). "Criminal Abortion Revisited". New York University Law Review. 66 (6): 1774–1831. PMID 11652642.
  7. ^ "Study: Abortions Are Safe When Performed By Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Certified Nurse Midwives". Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "Are there *any* states working to protect abortion rights?". Well+Good. May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "Vermont governor gives notice of abortion amendment vote". AP News. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  10. ^ "Vermont Conversation: The abortion election and male allies". VTDigger. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  11. ^ de Vogue, Arinne (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade". CNN. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Howe, Amy (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns constitutional right to abortion". SCOTUSblog. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Arndorfer, Elizabeth; Michael, Jodi; Moskowitz, Laura; Grant, Juli A.; Siebel, Liza (December 1998). A State-By-State Review of Abortion and Reproductive Rights. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 9780788174810.
  14. ^ Gould, Rebecca Harrington, Skye. "The number of abortion clinics in the US has plunged in the last decade — here's how many are in each state". Business Insider. Retrieved May 23, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Panetta, Grace; lee, Samantha (August 4, 2018). "This is what could happen if Roe v. Wade fell". Business Insider (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  16. ^ "Here's Where Women Have Less Access to Planned Parenthood". Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  17. ^ Cates, Willard; Rochat, Roger (March 1976). "Illegal Abortions in the United States: 1972–1974". Family Planning Perspectives. 8 (2): 86–92. doi:10.2307/2133995. JSTOR 2133995. PMID 1269687.
  18. ^ "No. of abortions among women aged 15–19, by state of residence, 2013 by racial group". Guttmacher Data Center. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  19. ^ "Stats of the state of Vermont". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 24, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  20. ^ Henshaw, Stanley K. (June 15, 2005). "Abortion Incidence and Services in the United States, 1995-1996". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 30: 263–270. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  21. ^ Jatlaoui, Tara C. (2017). "Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2014". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 66 (24): 1–48. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6624a1. ISSN 1546-0738. PMC 6289084. PMID 29166366.
  22. ^ Jatlaoui, Tara C. (2018). "Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2015". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 67 (13): 1–45. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6713a1. ISSN 1546-0738. PMC 6289084. PMID 30462632.
  23. ^ Jatlaoui, Tara C. (2019). "Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2016". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 68 (11): 1–41. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6811a1. ISSN 1546-0738. PMC 6289084. PMID 31774741.
  24. ^ "Guttmacher Data Center". data.guttmacher.org. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  25. ^ Bacon, John. "Abortion rights supporters' voices thunder at #StopTheBans rallies across the nation". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  26. ^ "State House Rally for Reproductive Rights Planned for Tuesday | Vermont Business Magazine". vermontbiz.com. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  27. ^ Robinson, Shaun; Peterson, Jenna; Tan, Tiffany; O'Connor, Kevin; Chien, Lia; Keays, Alan J.; Heintz, Paul (June 24, 2022). "Vermonters rally throughout the state as Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade". VT Digger. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  28. ^ Battaile, Janet. "Surge of Vandalism Hits Abortion Clinics". New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
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