Victory in the Vermont State House!

 

Years of work to prevent passage of a bill that would legalize physician assisted suicide in Vermont came to a definitive conclusion on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 as the House of Representatives voted to defeat H.44, An Act Relating to Death With Dignity, by a vote of 63 – 82.

 

It was a victory of historic proportions.  Here’s why:

 

Vermont pro-lifers and others have successfully resisted the push toward euthanasia in our state for decades.  In fact, since the first so-called Death With Dignity bill was introduced in Vermont in 1976, a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide has not been enacted into law despite numerous attempts. 

 

The organizations supporting assisted suicide have changed their name too many times to count – from the Hemlock Society to Death With Dignity to End of Life Choices – even the bill was renamed this year as “Patient Choice and Control at End of Life,”- all without changing one word of the original language.  It is still physician assisted suicide no matter how they try to hide their real agenda.  But, despite their calculated cleverness over the years, the suicide proponents always came up empty handed at the end of each legislative session.

 

However, for the past five years national euthanasia organizations have focused their deadly desires like a laser beam on this small state.

 

The drive to legalize physician assisted suicide has suffered defeat after defeat in state after state throughout the 10 years since Oregon became the only state to legalize the deadly practice.  So, why did the pro-death forces look to Vermont for a desperately needed win in order to revive their failed propositions?  Consider the following:

 

• Vermont is well-known as a breeding ground for radical ideas.
• Vermont is such a small state that it is easy and inexpensive to co-opt public opinion - as long as national organizations are willing to pour large amounts of money into surveys containing misleading questions with skewed results, to buy television advertising on Vermont’s two major news outlets, to hire pricey lobbying firms and to capitalize on a media market favorable to their views. 
• Vermonters in the last election handed those who favor suicide exactly what Kevorkian and his ilk could only dream of a few years ago – a state legislature tipped heavily into their column by the anti-war, anti-incumbent sentiment raging through the entire country last fall.
• A win in this small state would lay the groundwork for the big win - the state of California.

 

All told, euthanasia proponents were rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of what appeared to be a sure win in Vermont.  Proponents of suicide hired eight lobbyists, ran television commercials for months featuring three former Vermont Governors and had the advantage of a House of Representatives made-up of 93 Democrats, 49 Republicans, 6 Progressives and 2 Independents.

 

Some in the media predicted easy passage in the Vermont House and prospects for the Senate looked equally grim.  While Governor James Douglas repeatedly stated that he did not support the concept of assisted suicide, it would have taken 51 votes in the Vermiont House to sustain a veto.  Just three weeks before the vote, pro-life lobbyists could not count on 51 legislators to oppose the bill.

 

By March 16^th the bill had been reviewed by two legislative committees and after ignoring the serious objections raised by excellent testimony as to the ramifications of such a law, H. 44 headed to the floor for a vote.

 

            But defeat was unthinkable. So, pro-life Vermonters redoubled their efforts and continued to pray.  Vermont Right to Life mobilized our extensive network of bipartisan, non-denominational supporters by mailing nearly 5,000 postcards to pro-life citizens in key legislative districts and generating over 9,000 pre-recorded phone messages the weekend before the vote urging members to contact their legislators.  The response was immediate and widespread!

 

            “The single, most important, contributing factor to the change of heart among the members of the House of Representatives was the number of calls, letters and emails they received in opposition to the bill,” stated Mary Hahn Beerworth, Lobbyist for Vermont Right to Life.  “It was amazing to witness the outpouring of constituent phone calls and the effect it had on the legislative body as a whole – some legislators reported that their calls were running 4 to 1 in opposition while some members of the House reported that their constituent contacts were running as high as 10 to 1 against H.44!” said Beerworth. 

 

“In addition, Vermont clergy took the lead from the pulpit and encouraged the faithful to action” Beerworth continued.  “Along with excellent medical information about the dangers of physician assisted suicide, a radio and television advertising campaign by the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare led by Dr. Robert Orr, and the outcry from the disability rights community, the legislature finally began to hear the truth.”

 

The four-hour floor debate that led up to the vote exposed the flaws in H.44 and proponents of assisted suicide failed to persuade most lawmakers that the bill had enough safeguards to protect vulnerable people from abuse.  Eloquent and passionate testimonies from Rep. Peg Flory of Pittsford, Rep. Anne Donahue of Northfield, Rep. Mary Morrissey of Bennington and Rep. Patricia O’Donnell of Vernon and others persuaded even more legislators to vote “no” at the end of the day.

 

Please be sure to thank those legislators who voted “no” on H.44 and add a special thank you to those who stood up to articulate the key issues during the debate on the floor: Reps. Anne Donahue of Northfield, Carolyn Branagan of Georgia, Peg Flory of Pittsford, Kathy Lavoie of Swanton, Dick Howrigan of Fairfield, Greg Clark of Vergennes, Virginia Milkey of Brattleboro, Harvey “Bud” Otterman of Topsham, William Johnson of Canaan, David Sunderland of Rutland Town, Tom Koch of Barre Town, Ken Atkins of Winooski, Joe Krawczyk of Bennington, Mary Morrissey of Bennington, Duncan Kilmartin of Newport, Gary Gilbert of Fairfax and Patricia O’Donnell of Vernon.

 

Below is the roll call on House Bill 44, An Act Relating to Patient Choice and Control at End of Life.

 

(63) Voting YES (pro-assisted suicide) 55 Democrats; 4 Progressives; 2 Republicans; 2 Independents:

 

William Aswad, D-Burlington; Denise Barnard, D-Richmond; Harry Chen, D-Mendon; Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich; Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock; Jim Condon, D-Colchester; Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, D-Bradford; Susan Davis, P-Washington; David Deen, D-Westminster; Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury; Alice Emmons, D-Springfield; Gail Fallar, D-Tinmouth; Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln; William Frank, D-Underhill; Patsy French, D-Randolph; Maxine Grad, D-Moretown; Sandy Haas, P-Rochester; Helen Head, D-South Burlington; Martha Heath, D-Westford; Carol Hosford, D-Waitsfield; Richard Hube, R-Londonderry; Peter Hunt, D-Essex; Jim Hutchinson, D-Randolph; Willem Jewett, D-Ripton; Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero; Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier; Tony Klein, D-East Montpelier; Patti Komline, R-Dorset; Mark Larson, D-Burlington; Joan Lenes, D-Shelburne; William Lippert, D-Hinesburg; Jason Lorber, D-Burlington;Steven Maier, D-Middlebury; Ann Manwaring, D-Wilmington; Richard Marek, D-Newfane; Cynthia Martin, D-Springfield; Jim Masland, D-Thetford; Jim McCullough, D-Williston; Alice Miller, D-Shaftsbury; Sue Minter, D-Waterbury; Mark Mitchell, D-Barnard; Michael Mrowicki, D-Putney; Floyd Nease, D-Johnson; Betty Nuovo, D-Middlebury; Hilde Ojibway, D-Hartford; Scott Orr, D-Charlotte; Carolyn Partridge, D-Windham; Christopher Pearson, P-Burlington; Kathy Pellett, D-Chester; Peter Peltz, D-Woodbury; Daryl Pillsbury, I-Brattleboro; Ann Pugh, D-South Burlington; John Rodgers, D-Glover; Ernest Shand, D-Weathersfield; David Sharpe, D-Bristol; Shap Smith, D-Morristown; Kristy Spengler, D-Colchester; Will Stevens, I-Shoreham; Donna Sweaney, D-Windsor; Ira Trombley, D-Grand Isle; Rachel Weston, D-Burlington; John Zenie, D-Colchester; David Zuckerman, P-Burlington.

(82) Voting NO (opposed to assisted suicide) 46 Republicans; 35 Democrats; 1 Progressive:

 

Joe Acinapura, R-Brandon; Steven Adams, R-Hartland; David Ainsworth, R-Royalton; George Allard, D-St. Albans Town; Janet Ancel, D-Calais; Margaret Andrews, D-Rutland; Kenneth Atkins, D-Winooski; Albert Audette, D-South Burlington; Joseph Baker, R-West Rutland; Clement Bissonnette, D-Winooski; Donald Bostic, R-St. Johnsbury; Bill Botzow, D-Pownal; Carolyn Branagan, R-Georgia; Christopher Bray, D-New Haven; Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester; Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington; William Canfield, R-Fair Haven; David Clark, R-St. Johnsbury; Gregory Clark, R-Vergennes; John Clerkin, R-Hartford; Michel Consejo, D-Sheldon; Timothy Corcoran, D-Bennington; Gale Courcelle, D-Rutland City; Dennis Devereux, R-Mount Holly; Andrew Donaghy, R-Poultney; Anne Donahue, R-Northfield; Johannah Donovan, D-Burlington; Joyce Errecart, R-Shelburne; Debbie Evans, D-Essex; James Fitzgerald, D-St. Albans City; Margaret Flory, R-Pittsford; Avis Gervais, D-Enosburg; Gary Gilbert, D-Fairfax; Reginald Godin, D-Milton; Steven Howard, D-Rutland; Richard Howrigan, D-Fairfield; Cola Hudson, R-Lyndon; Tim Jerman, D-Essex; William Johnson, R-Canaan; Kathleen Keenan, D-St. Albans; Bill Keogh, D-Burlington; Duncan Kilmartin, R-Newport; Thomas Koch, R-Barre Town; Joseph Krawczyk, R-Bennington; Michele Kupersmith, D-South Burlington; Leigh Larocque, R-Barnet; Kathy LaVoie, R-Swanton; Richard Lawrence, R-Lyndon; Lucy Leriche, D-Hardwick; Judith Livingston, R-Manchester; John Malcolm, D-Pawlet; Michael Marcotte, R-Coventry; Linda Martin, D-Wolcott; Norman McAllister, R-Highgate; Virginia McCormack, D-Rutland; Patricia McDonald, R-Berlin; Francis McFaun, R-Barre Town; Virginia Milkey, D-Brattleboro; Harry Monti, D-Barre; Anne Mook, D-Bennington; John Moran, D-Wardsboro; John Morley, R-Barton; Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington; Linda Myers, R-Essex; Pat O'Donnell, R-Vernon; Michael Obuchowski, D-Rockingham; Harvey Otterman, R-Topsham; Kitty Oxholm, R-Vergennes; Janice Peaslee, R-Guildhall; Albert Perry, R-Richford; Mary Peterson, D-Williston; Dave Potter, D-Clarendon; Dexter Randall, P-Troy; Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe; Loren Shaw, R-Derby; David Sunderland, R-Rutland Town; Donald Turner, R-Milton; Leo Valliere, R-Barre; Richard Westman, R-Cambridge; Scott Wheeler, R-Derby; Philip Winters, R-Williamstown; Kurt Wright, R-Burlington.

(Absent: Sarah Edwards, (P) - Brattleboro; Robert Helm, (R ) - Castleton; Steve Larrabee, (R) - Danville)