By Guy Page

One of the lawyers arguing for citizens’ voting rights in the Vermont Supreme Court will be interviewed today on Hot Off The Press, VDC’s news and call-in opinion program at 11:05 AM on WDEV AM 550, FM 96.1, and livestreamed at wdevradio.com. 

Callers may speak with host Guy Page and lawyer Brady Toensing of Morin V. City of Burlington, the second lawsuit filed to overturn a 2023 Burlington city charter change (approved by the Legislature) that allows non-citizen residents to vote in school district elections, including school budget votes.

The case is being argued in the civil law division of Chittenden County Superior Court. Oral arguments were heard October 15, as reported by VDC. Supporters of the law say it appropriately makes all city residents equal in decision-making. Opponents say the Vermont Constitution only permits U.S. citizens to vote and that non-citizen voting in effect waters down the power of the citizen’s vote.

The second lawsuit by RITE, a legal advocacy organization, follows a Supreme Court ruling against a previous suit brought by Toensing and other lawyers against the 2023 law, Ferry v. City of Montpelier. 

As noted in the City of Burlington’s February, 2025 motion to dismiss Morin, The Ferry court drew a fundamental distinction between statewide and municipal elections and determined that the Constitution applies only to statewide elections.