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Vermont family advocacy group warns Proposition 4’s wording could cause court challenges

Senate Judiciary · January 30, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Renee McGinnis of the Vermont Family Alliance told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Proposition 4’s finite list of protected classes creates interpretive risks for courts, could exclude other groups and that the legislature prioritized timing over precise drafting; she urged broader language and more public outreach.

Renee McGinnis, policy analyst for the Vermont Family Alliance, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 29 that she does not oppose an equal-rights amendment in principle but has serious concerns about the specific language of Proposition 4 now before the Legislature.

"Vermont Family Alliance is a parental rights and penal protection status group," McGinnis said, and argued that Prop 4’s use of a closed or "finite" list of protected classes invites interpretive problems for courts and could unintentionally exclude other groups. She cited…

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