Burlington, Vt. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion granted to all Americans for nearly five decades. Mayor Miro Weinberger issued the following statement:
“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court creates a country where rights are determined by which state you live in. This ruling sets our country back two generations in the fight for women’s rights and equality.
“In Vermont, a person’s right to choose is secure, and the City will continue its record of doing everything possible to defend reproductive access. In 2019, the State Legislature overwhelmingly passed the Freedom of Choice Act, which establishes the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception or sterilization, and the right to carry a pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or have an abortion.
“It is important to point out that this is not the only Supreme Court ruling in recent days that is completely out of touch with the priorities of Americans. Yesterday, the Supreme Court overturned a century-old New York State law which required people to have a license to carry a concealed gun. This outrageous ruling comes at the same moment when we finally broke a logjam in the U.S. Senate to pass once-in-a-generation gun reform.
“The U.S. Supreme Court is quickly losing credibility in the eyes of many Americans. Our democracy depends on our ability to restore legitimacy to this essential branch of our government. The current system for appointing judges, who serve life terms, is unique in the world and has created a situation where minority views are being imposed on the whole country. Increasingly, it is clear, we must reform the way the U.S. Supreme Court is constituted to rebuild and restore its own legitimacy.”
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