Also would give “equal treatment and respect under the law” regardless of national origin
by Guy Page
A proposed constitutional amendment introduced on the last day of the 2023 session of the Vermont Legislature would guarantee “equal treatment and respect under the law” on account of race, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.
The proposed constitutional amendment is sponsored by:
Sen. Virginia Lyons
Sen. Nader Hashim
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale
Sen. Philip Baruth
Sen. Christopher Bray
Sen. Brian Campion
Sen. Thomas Chittenden
Sen. Alison Clarkson
Sen. Ann Cummings
Sen. Martine Gulick
Sen. Ruth Hardy
Sen. Wendy Harrison
Sen. M. Jane Kitchel
Sen. Mark MacDonald
Sen. Richard McCormack
Sen. Andrew Perchlik
Sen. Richard Sears
Sen. Robert Starr
Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky
Sen. Anne Watson
Sen. Richard Westman
Sen. Rebecca White, and
Sen. Irene Wrenner.
Westman, of Lamoille County, is the only Republican co-sponsor. PR.4 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As published in the May 12 Senate Journal, PR.4 reads:
“This proposal would amend the Constitution of the State of Vermont to specify that the government must not deny equal treatment and respect under the law on account of a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.”
“Providing for equality of rights as a fundamental principle in the Constitution would serve as a foundation for protecting the rights and dignity of historically marginalized populations and addressing existing inequalities,” the proposal reads. “This amendment would reassert the broad principles of personal liberty and equality reflected in the Constitution of the State of Vermont with authoritative force, longevity, and symbolic importance.”
PR.4 could become part of the Constitution as soon as November, 2026, if ratified by this Legislature and the next (2025-26) Legislature and then by voters in November, 2026.