Planned Parenthood is an essential part of nearly two million people’s lives, providing a variety of resources to women and men around the country. According to their website, “Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of people worldwide.” They operate more than 600 health clinics in the United States and are the leading provider for reproductive services in the nation. Over the summer, Bennington Vermont’s Planned Parenthood closed its doors, leaving a void in the greater Bennington community.
Bennington wasn’t the only town to lose its Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood of New England closed five of its centers over the summer, leaving many areas in Vermont and New Hampshire with the closest center almost an hour away. Now the nearest Planned Parenthood to Bennington is an hour away with locations in Brattleboro, Rutland, and Albany remaining. The decision to close the multitude of Planned Parenthoods was strategized to try and expand hours in the centers that remain open, make sure they have the funds to keep centers open, and prepare for an influx of out-of-state patients seeking abortions.
Planned Parenthood is the right hand to reproductive rights which have been declining rapidly post the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The decision in Hobbs v. Jackson took away federal protection of abortions and left it up to the states. This has caused nationwide debate over the issue. In the upcoming fall election, five states have abortion legislation on the ballot including Vermont.
In 2019, the Vermont state legislature passed a bill that safeguarded a person’s right to seek an abortion and use birth control. While this law does more than most states to protect the right to choose, it is not a protected right in the Vermont state constitution. In the upcoming election, that could change. Voters are being asked to decide on a potential new amendment, Amendment 22, which would state that “an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course.” This would ensure the right to abortion would be safe in Vermont for years to come regardless of what other states decide to do.
While lots of Vermonters support the new amendment, many are opposed due to its vague wording and description. In the Vermont Digger, an online news publication in Vermont, many opinion pieces have been published weighing the pros and cons of this new amendment. James Lyall, executive director of the ACLU wrote for the VTDigger, “With Article 22 in place, the state Legislature would need to establish that there was an extremely important reason to enact a law that restricted our reproductive rights. Lawmakers would also need to prove that there was not any other possible way to address that state interest without infringing on our rights. Otherwise, the law would be struck down and our rights would be protected.”
With the upcoming election, the best way for your voice to be heard is to vote. Article 22 is offering a promising dose of security in a time of upheaval for reproductive rights. All Bennington college students 18+ who are US citizens can vote in the upcoming election on this vital issue. Register to vote in Vermont here. For students coming from out-of-state, you can only cast your ballot in one, ultimately. Depending on where you are from, you’ll have to decide which election has more at stake.
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