Vermont Votes to Enshrine Constitutional Right to Abortion

After voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of a ballot measure, the constitution of Vermont now enshrines the right to kill unborn babies.

“An individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means,” the amendment reads.

About seventy-two percent, or 133,000 Vermonters, decided to vote in favor of the measure according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office, while 42,000 voted against it.

While abortion is already legal in the state, such a change to the constitution would mean no piece of legislation could restrict the procedure in the future.

Vermont appears to be the first state to add such a measure by ballot measure. Michigan and California have similar ballot measures on their ballots this cycle.

In addition, ten U.S. state supreme courts have ruled that their state constitutions enshrine abortion access beyond Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in June.

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies