 to stand in solidarity with Vermonters across the state. Obviously, last night, learning of the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court potentially overturning Roe v. Wade is deeply, deeply distressing not only to all of us across Vermont, but individuals across this country. So I'm here today standing in solidarity with Vermonters, showing strong opposition to this potential Supreme making sure that it's clear that we need, right now, to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law and standing with our congressional delegation and doing all we can to make that a reality. Will the Supreme Court's decision, do you feel that that may have an effect here in Vermont? I'm hoping, given what we've done with Proposition 5, which for folks is an effort here in Vermont to amend our Vermont Constitution, to enshrine reproductive liberty, essentially to enshrine the right to choose here in Vermont and our Constitution. As a lawyer, as an international human rights lawyer, my understanding is that we can do more. We can provide more protections as a state than our offer in the U.S. Constitution. So our efforts on Proposition 5, which will go to the voters in November, is extremely important right now. How good is it to see so many people being active with this very touchy subject? I think it's been, what, 48 hours, roughly since the news broke, and already we see Vermonters not only rallying here today in Burlington, we know Vermonters are rallying in Montpelier, in Stowe, in Brattleboro, and across the state. We want Americans to know that Vermont stands with you and that we're going to be doing everything we can to ensure that not only our reproductive rights codified here in the state, but that Roe v. Wade becomes a reality at the federal level, which we so desperately need right now. One more. What could you and Governor Scott do to help protect women's reproductive rights? This isn't in Vermont. This is not a partisan issue. The governor has released a statement. I released a statement. I'm proud to stand with the governor, with our legislature, and with all Vermonters, and saying that this is a fundamental right. Right now, this Supreme Court decision equates to a government mandate on pregnancy. We are living in 2022. This is just a stopian moment for our state and for our country. And I stand today with our governor, with the legislature, and with our congressional delegation in doing everything we can to codify Roe v. Wade and federal legislation and protect those rights here in our Vermont Constitution. Passing reproductive freedom, it's gonna be on the ballot and we're going to pass is outrageous talking to people here. You had the same emotion I had. We knew what was coming, but we couldn't believe it would happen. You can't believe it would happen. This is setting back reproductive freedom by generations. And you know the implications of this decision, the clarity of this decision, by the way, is that it is up to the states to decide whether a woman has a right to make her own decisions. And 26 states already, 26 states already have passed laws that say if Roe v. Wade is repealed, abortion is ended in each of those 26 states. It's real. But you know, the Roe v. Wade court made its decision, not just on abortion, but it acknowledged individual rights that each of us has to make important decisions about who we are, who we love, what our privacy is. So what does this mean about the future? So this is really one of the most profound decisions. And the history of our country has always been a struggle about expanding rights of individuals and standing up for the dignity of all people, whoever they are and whatever their struggles are and however they identify. And this decision by this court, engineered by the former President Trump and by Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader who were hell bent on a court packing scheme of judges who ultimately would take away Roe v. Wade in the right of women in this country to make their own reproductive choices, that is wrong. And it included that decision when Barack Obama had the opportunity to nominate a judge and Mitch McConnell refused even to allow that nominee to have a hearing. So that's why we knew it was coming, but we can't believe in the United States of America it would happen because it's not who we are. And we respect the right of an individual who has to make a decision about her reproductive health to make that decision without government, without politicians interfering. We made progress in Vermont. The amendment will vote on, we'll pass. And we say, God bless Vermont. But in Congress, we've got to struggle ahead. We've passed the Women's Health Protection Act in the House, it's in the Senate, Bernie and Patrick are both big supporters but it faces the filibuster and you know what the filibuster, it's time to go. We've got to stand up in which right rather than simple procedures that protect the status quo. So I say to each and every one of you who is here we're all here in solidarity. We're all here because we care about one another. We're all here because we respect the rights of individuals to make their own health decisions. That's their right. And we respect the decision that each of us makes. So thank you one and all, Bernie and Patrick and I will continue to do everything we can to fight that fight in Washington to stand up for reproductive freedom. Thank you. To a quick chin here, congressional delegation especially in this moment. This moment is terrifying. It is dystopian. I feel numb. Who feels numb? A little numb that doesn't feel real. And I can tell you as a lawyer and Congress some mulch knows as a lawyer. Do we have some lawyers here? I know we don't normally want to raise our hand but today I'm going to raise my hand because our is the constitution. Our work is the law. And when you have the highest court in the land coming forward with a draft decision but we know it's not a draft decision that was affirmed today. Well it is a draft decision but it is a decision that doesn't expand rights, doesn't protect rights, protect fundamental rights that have already been decided on by the Supreme Court is a cause of great concern. We have a lot of work to do and in this moment of numbness, for those of you who don't know I'm going to do my best to explain it. We have proposition five. It is an effort to amend our Vermont constitution to ensure that reproductive liberty is still accessible here in the state no matter what happens with the US Supreme Court. And it has been a long, long time coming and it is in the final step which means that in November, as Congressman Welch said it will go to all of us, the voters in every corner of the state which means that right now in this moment where we feel numb, where we feel confused we have to drive all of our energy into getting every Vermonter across the state fired up and focused on passing proposition five. To do everything we can to support Congressman Welch and Senator Leahy and Senator Sanders. And to send a very, very strong message to Congress and working with states across this nation that we have to codify, we have to end the filibuster and we have to codify Roe in federal law. Finally, we have to find hope in this moment. And whatever that means, take care of yourself, say healthy, call neighbors, call friends, call loved ones in other states. Make sure that we're doing everything we can because this is the fight of our lives. So get tough, stay healthy and let's do all we can to ensure that Roe is the law of the land and it is a fundamental right and it's not going anywhere. Thank you, thank you so much. All right, best on the reproductive liberty come this November. Are you ready to see if you guys can make it? Tissue and sign and then those flyers. Productive Liberty Amendment is super important to me in protecting abortion rights because I found myself as a married person wanting to have kids. Then in a really sad situation where I had a pregnancy that had some fatal abnormalities, it was not viable with life. It would have been dangerous for me to continue with my pregnancy. And so I elected to terminate the pregnancy. I am incredibly grateful that I live here in Vermont in a place where I could access that care and the care was kind and compassionate. I did not feel like any shame or judgment for my healthcare providers because abortion is healthcare. And unfortunately the situation happened two more times because it's a genetic condition. And again, I'm just so incredibly grateful. My little peanut here and my two other kids would not be here if it weren't for my ability to access this fundamental important healthcare. So please, I hope to see you all on May 14th in South Royalton. And again, make sure you pledge like Paige said and get ready to vote in November. Thank you, go space up. I was assaulted on my college campus when I was 20. I had no intention of being pregnant. I got pregnant, didn't know I was pregnant, had the baby. I'm glad she's in good care. But had I known, had I been in a place where I could have done it, I would have had the right to choose it. And I feel bad saying that about an alive human, but it's really unfair that I was forced to carry out a decision that I should have had on my own body, not my rapist, and he tries to get rights over my daughter that's never gonna fucking happen. Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing that. May 14th, 1946. My ancestor, Lois Craddachville, a gorgeous 21-year-old woman who was married for one year died of a back alley abortion. This is happening today in other areas of the country already and it will happen again. And a mere piece of legislation, not our constitutional amendment, but many states are merely talking about codification. And as we have seen, what is a mere codification is not your right. You still don't have a right. You're nothing more than a breeding machine. And abortion vans kill women just like us. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Absolutely. Yes, please. My name is Isabel and I'm a student at the University of Vermont, but originally I'm from Texas. My body has been a political playground for years now. No access to abortion. Abortion clinics closing at every step, but that doesn't mean that abortion stops. Safe abortion stops. This is not just a Vermont issue. This is a US issue. This is a national issue. Because this is an attack on not only women, but black women, brown women, women who cannot afford to pay for an abortion, who live in the southern states. Yes. Thank you. Appreciate it. The Supreme Court even have the opportunity to leak this document. Why has Roe v. Wade not been codified into law? We have a Democratic president with a Democratic majority. This should not have even been able to happen. Let's share it. Let's get it out. This happens and it's going to keep happening. The reproductive rights are rolled back continually. It shows us that the Democratic Party doesn't actually give a shit. They are holding on that they can continue to leverage more votes. Stop it. If you actually give a shit about people, maybe make some laws so that this doesn't keep fucking happening instead of stringing us along continually with promises, oh, we'll make your lives better next year. We'll make your lives better next year. You can be safe next year. We'll deal with your student loans. Thank you so much. This is your space. Yes, please. Yeah, actually partially in response to that, my name is Patricia Preston. Good to see all of you out here in solidarity today. I'm a candidate for the Lieutenant Governor and I'm running as a Democrat and I'm running because I'm a pro-choice candidate and I want to stand up and I want to say that this is unacceptable and I will support all pro-choice laws and liberties and I think that we have an opportunity to vote pro-choice up and down the ballot and also this November have Prop 5 voted into law. We have the opportunity to do that here in Vermont this year and we need to stand up. You need to get to the ballot and you need to vote and you need to make your voice heard and let your elected officials know when you're unhappy and that's why I'm standing here today to run. So thank you. It's really cool to hear that people have their investment as political candidates. Sorry. But I really don't have a lot of space for that. Woo! Right on, Cho. As a person who has a grown son and has also had an abortion, I'm really not interested in political efforts in this moment or that energy. What I'm interested in is women who've experienced or I'm sorry, people who have experienced abortions to understand that it's not about politics. It's not about voting for the, I apologize. It's not about voting for the right person or putting your efforts into voting for the right person. That hurt me a little bit. It is an incredibly emotional decision to have an abortion. I've had one and I carry the ultrasound photo with me in my wallet and it was one of the hardest choices I've made in my life. And I'm not okay with it being about who to vote for. It's about the right thing. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing. I appreciate it. I have to say that this here is not just about us women in our daughters and our probably granddaughters down the line. This also affects men as well. This is not just, this is something that as I was saying to Peter Welch but this is something that should not be happening to us right now. We don't need, so it's beautiful for me. We will change. I'm sorry, I got there a little. How things are being represented and I wish that there was more men here and women. This is Lois Trombley. I've been a teaching artist in this community. I'm from Vermont and from South Burlington. I had an abortion, that's the right time. Who are you filming for, Bo? So yeah, good for you. Carry on. So yeah, I did have an abortion like seven years ago. I never thought I would have one and I was in a very abusive relationship with a man that was not doing well psychologically and I feel that I would have died if I had not had that abortion. I would have died, my child would have died. I have a 15 year old beautiful girl and I'm a wonderful mom. And I never thought I would have to have an abortion but I did. And I know lots of other wonderful women who've had to make that difficult choice. One in three women. Yeah, one in three. And you men should be standing up louder. I'm thanking the men that are here that we had an abortion at some point. Have an emotional connection to this. This is hard for us. It's very important that you stand up right now. So thank you. That's why they had to get abortions but I just want to say, if you don't want to have a baby, that can be the reason. I mean, there are so many reasons and people should not be made to feel bad about it. Part of the reason that it's so hard for people to talk about it is because it's so shamed in our community. And it's all right. If people cannot understand that we have a time for this news today, I've had this song going around in my head and it goes like this. Oh. I'll pray for this. But something I want to say is that this is just, is that this is just the fucking start. It's that this Supreme Court is fundamentally a fascist movement. And it's trying. And abortion is the only start. They're going after intruational marriage. They're going after gay marriage. They're going after legal transition. And we must stop the Supreme Court. I was 70 years old and in 1972, 1971, I went to New York to have an abortion. And I worked in the abortion rights action league for narrow hall in the early 80s in Ohio when we had the bombings. And I can't believe we're here, but yet it seems somehow inevitable because it was just push, push, push. And I don't know what it's going to take. And I don't think this is a short-term deal right here because all these issues that we're looking at are so interrelated. Whether you talk about climate change, human rights, et cetera, et cetera. It's just a huge one big mass. And we got to do something. And I swear, it ain't this. It isn't just this. And I'm, I don't know what to do. All I know is I can't take it. And I'm not feeling gentle. I think we can come up with a few things. If we put our heads together, but it's not singing kumbaya. And it's not standing around. This is just, I don't know, guys. Sorry, thanks for having me. School teacher. And I think that there's a lot of kids here. And I just want to give a shout out to all the kids that are here because I think that their kids are too young to talk about some of these things. And that's actually a lot more harmful than it is good because children live in the same world that we do. And whether it be racial violence, whether it be violence against women or trans individuals, anybody, it's still their world. And they deserve to know the truth. And I'm not saying you have to sit your kid down and explain exactly what an abortion is. Little things like consent at the age of three, four and five, teaching your kid about consent, teaching your kid about how to talk to someone if they're doing something that makes them uncomfortable is so important. And they are listening and they are a lot smarter than we might, you know, paint them out to be. And even if you're under 18, your voice is so important. So keep up the good work to all the kids and keep them more exciting. And I wanted to take a moment and give a huge shout out to everyone who used this mic to speak their truth, to speak the truth. We have the wonderful explanation about preschool children, I guess, speaker talking about what can we do in this moment? We need an army. We need the SWAT team to come out. And I tell you, we need, just as a quick recap on it's on my balance, exactly what the Reproductive Liberty Amendment is and what it means for Vermont and this country. We are literally protect reproductive rights in this country. We're going to show the blueprint. So it's really important if you wanna take one action to support the RLA, abbreviation for Reproductive Liberty Amendment. If you wanna support the ends with people that you know, make sure that they know what it is. If you wanna take the next step, comment with us. We're gonna be knocking on doors. We're gonna be making our is doing this November.