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By Guy Page
Two bills to legalize prostitution have been introduced into the Vermont Legislature.
Both bills have strong backing from Burlington-area legislators. In June, 2022, Gov. Phil Scott signed into law a bill passed by the Legislature removing anti-prostitution language from Burlington’s city charter. At the time, supporters said the Burlington charter change would have no legal effect because state law forbid prostitution everywhere in Vermont, including Burlington.
S.54 was introduced February 6 and sent to Senate Judiciary. The lead sponsor is Dem/Progressive Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky of Chittenden County. Additional Sponsors are Sen. Martine Gulick (D-Chittenden), Wendy Harrison (D-Windham), Rebecca White (D-Windsor), and Larry Hart (R-Orange).
H.190 was introduced February 11 and sent to House Judiciary. The two bills have virtually identical wording. They would “repeal the prostitution laws that currently prohibit ‘indiscriminate sexual intercourse’ and consensual engagement in sex work for hire by adults while retaining prohibitions and felony criminal penalties for human trafficking of persons who are compelled through force, fraud, or coercion to engage in sex work.”
The House bill is sponsored by three Burlington legislators, Democrat Reps. Troy Headrick (lead sponsor), Kate Logan, and Barbara Rachelson, as well as Bradford Rep. Monique Priestley.
The bills explain that current prohibitions of prostitution laws ‘reflect the social mores of the early 1900s, criminalizing not only voluntary sex work but sexual activity outside marriage, and no longer reflect Vermont’s commitment to personal and bodily autonomy.
“Data has consistently shown that the criminalization of voluntary sex work is associated with increased risk of sexual and physical violence from 6 clients, domestic partners, or other parties; increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; and a disruption of sex workers’ support networks, workplace safety, and risk reduction strategies, resulting in reduced physical and emotional health for sex workers.”
The bills would not create a legal, licensed framework for the prostitution industry, but would merely ban prostitution as a criminal act and attempt to provide safeguards against using minors as prostitutes and coercing prostitution by threats or other means, including withholding passports and immigration documents.
Similar attempts to legalize prostitution have been unsuccessfully attempted in the Legislature in recent years.
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Categories: Burlington, Legislation
Sorry, not buying it. Public decadence – legal, open, and flaunted – is a step that every collapsing society goes through. Not to mention, prostitution leads to a larger drug problem, and vice versa.
Next stop: Anarchy.
Sorry, I’ll pass. Those who fail to learn from history are (unfortunately) doomed to repeat it. And it looks like they’re hell-bent on doing so.
Brilliant post Robin. And we all shall reap what they sow. And what a snake in the grass the governor is —– sacrificing women and children to the gods of debauchery and diabolism.
Groomers, we have too many groomers working in Montpelier.
This is a false economy, just like drugs, it appeals to the most primitive, gutter lifestyle, they know exactly what they are doing, it’s called subversion.
These ideas are promoted by the 10 people who make the objectives every session. Everybody, knows, Vermonters are not crying out for legal prostitution. Yet our leadership is unwilling to call out yet another massive astro turf campaign being waged upon our state.
Lust and Sex, we need to teach our people the difference, they are not the same.
TGBTG
Neil, I’ve said this before, our economy is engulfed in late stage capitalism. Its the reason we fight culture wars so fervently, the fight for the economy is long over. There’s no more startups, no more innovation because billionaires just buy the new ideas and competition and fold it into their portfolio or smother the innovation. Alas, the only thing left to do is legalize vices. First drugs, then gambling, then prostitution. Think of all those sweet tourism dollars as we continue our societal decay.
And as I said before , very well stated, it is however a false economy, to which the only real beneficiaries are the pimps and drug suppliers, aka Montpelier bureaucrats. And low and behold, they are the only ones pushing for it.
You know I try to engage you and make a good point and then you go and say dumb things that make thing you’re like Joan or Jay. Go look at Only Fans if you think that Montpelier Bureaucrats are the only ones that benefit from legalization. Amber Rain made $40 million dollars last year on the site. That’s pretty real money
What would one expect from the Queen City, which has become a ” cesspool ” with
crime, drugs with its ” Illegal drug ” shoot-up center, and a plethora of homelessness
and now prostitutes roaming the street corners, will they have signs like the vagrants, I would expect this nonsense from Burlington’s DEI Mayor, but these other sponsors
surprised me, I guess Burlington isn’t the only cesspool in the state !!
If I didn’t know better it sounds like the sponsors, Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sen. Martine Gulick, Wendy Harrison, Rebecca White, and Larry Hart are looking for some extra income ??
Just think about the harm mentally and physically to these young women and probably young men and these legislators think this is a good idea, where do we find the people ??
Where are all the pink-hat women libbers, standing against this nonsense on women,
I guess my body, my choice statement will now get you $20-$40 for a quickie !!!!
How pathetic.
What an interesting group of socialists that have sponsored both bills. The irony and hypocrisy is astounding-
ms. sen. vhyovsky is some sort of licensed mental health counselor.
ms. sen. gulick is on the senate health and welfare committee as well as “the advisory council on child poverty and strengthening families” and… “building bright futures”.
ms. rep. rachelson lists her accomplishments as executive director of the Lund Center, Program Development Director, Spectrum Youth Services; served on the Vermont Committee for Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health among a lengthy list of NGO’s.
mr. rep. headrick lists “House Sexual Harassment Prevention panel” as a current assignment…
ms. rep. logan currently serves as the Director for the Vermont Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs.
All of these legislators should have clear knowledge of exactly what damage legalized prostitution brings to women and families and the cost to society, yet they lend their names to bills that will exacerbate the problems they purport to “fix”.
It seems likely these rather indifferent pol’s wish to find a problem and make laws to justify government power over them. And collect a tax.
Go Figure.
You bring up an interesting point. How many of these people would have been elected if the voting public knew exactly what their employment backgrounds are? If I were running against any of them, I’d be hammering that point night and day. Whoever said politics was supposed to be a fair game?
And to put my two cents in, I’ve always advocated for knowing where the people running for office came here from and where they were educated. Is that okay to say? Anyone agree?
Why not, the city council already lets addicts vand criminals control downtown.
A new male legislator from a small town is walking up Church Street and several times he is approached by different women asking him if he wants a BJ for $20. He has no idea what it means so he asks one of the Democrat women in the legislature what a BJ is. She responds, $20, same as on Church Street. That about sums it up.
“Data has consistently shown that the criminalization of voluntary sex work is associated with increased risk of sexual and physical violence from 6 clients, domestic partners, or other parties; increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; and a disruption of sex workers’ support networks, workplace safety, and risk reduction strategies, resulting in reduced physical and emotional health for sex workers.”
To paraphrase a movie quote-‘what this says makes no sense and we are all now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul’.
But, 1. What data. They need to cite the research.
2. If it is decriminalized, that will make it much harder for law enforcement to make contact with suspected prostites, make an arrest, get them into the system or at least gather intel about their trafficker and offer them victims assistance. If a prostitute is arrested and found to actually be a victim of human trafficking, then the prosecutors can drop the charges and the victim advocate can help. None of this happens when it is decriminalized.
Just when you think the communist clown show couldn’t get an zanier.
With God as my witness, if this is enacted, I’ll set up a brothel akin to those in Pahrump. I already have the commercial real estate. To be called, “Tanya’s Place.” No joke.
Go ahead! Let this ridiculousness become law. When there is a rise in STD’s and the increased medical cost as a result, increase of sexual assault incidents and unwanted pregnancy, the legislature will have only itself to blame.
Are you kidding? They will love it – more innocent babies’ skulls to crush in utero.
Well that will go hand and hand with the drugs
Angelo
I can’t…I just can’t anymore. Vermont nut jobs and the crap they promote is so out of hand, out of touch, and out of this world! Along with the citizens that want all these things that are destroying us.🤦🏻♀️
I have no other words. You all have said them and I agree with every one of you!
This will test the governor’s will to try out a veto without the super majority, I hope. Leave it to a group of progressives to create another problem so further down the road they can call for more money to fix it. Isn’t Ms. Tanya from New York and doesn’t she live there during the summer? Nothing will change in Montpeculiar until these progressives are voted out. NH is looking better all the time while Vermont continues toward the big flush.
“ The bills would not create a legal, licensed framework for the prostitution industry, but would merely ban prostitution as a criminal act and attempt to provide safeguards against using minors as prostitutes and coercing prostitution by threats or other means, including withholding passports and immigration documents.”
Looking back, this sounds reminiscent to lottery tickets subsidizing education.
Or how ‘civil unions’ ended up being nothing more than code for gay marriage.
Or possibly how the decriminalization of reefer would deter the use of harder narcotics and now we have pot shops that created a greater uncontrolled black market because it’s taxation increased the price point.
And then there was climate change ….
How many more lies must we be deceived by until these people are voted into obscurity?
And the Patriot Act will not be used as an excuse to institute a surveillance state or chip away at both your rights and the Constitution.
No, it’s there to protect us… for our own safety!
Come on, Charlie Brown, I won’t pull the football away again. I promise!
If we haven’t learned by now that the “radical lunatic left” will bit by bit pry the door open until it becomes a wide open gash, and then rip it off its hinges if we don’t lock it each and every time… I don’t know how I can help you.
Will EBT cards be able to be used to purchase sex for those that don’t have a partner in their hotel room to supply for them? Asking for a friend . . .
Don’t forget: A third of all prostitutes are male. And who knows how many more are underaged kids. Enjoy the VT you demoRATS are creating.
Prostitute. To devote to corrupt or unworthy purposes. Webster Dictionary. Sounds a lot like the Vermont State house.
Apparently, Vermont hasn’t sunk low enough yet, and as long as you let this type of progressive nonsense prevail, well, you elect these clowns, and that’s how it happens.
Wake up people
…and democrat Joe Biden in that pivotal televised debate accused Trump of “having the morals of an alley cat”…Perhaps he should look inward at his own party.
Voluntary sex workers??? What young woman or young man ever said, “when I grow up, I want to sell the intimate parts of my body to thousands of strangers.” No one ever. And WHY is this only on VDC? What on God’s green earth is wrong with these progressives?
Looks like some of the people in our legislature are looking to go into a new profession after they get booted out of government! Remember their names!