Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Constitutional Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Vermont House sends 'Prop 4' equal-protection amendment to voters after 128–14 roll-call
Summary
The Vermont House voted 128–14 to adopt in concurrence Proposal 4, a constitutional amendment adding an explicit equal-protection clause to the state constitution; the measure will appear on the November 2026 ballot if ratified by voters.
The Vermont House adopted in concurrence Proposal 4, a proposed constitutional amendment that would add an Equality of Rights provision to the Vermont Constitution, sending the measure to the November 2026 ballot after a roll-call vote of 128–14.
Representative Rachelson, speaking for the House Judiciary Committee, walked the chamber through the amendment and the state process for constitutional changes, noting the amendment would “specify that the government must not deny equal treatment under the law on account of a person's race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.” She urged colleagues to support placing the question before Vermont voters so they could “decide its future.”
During floor debate multiple lawmakers shared personal stories and reasons for supporting the constitutional change. A member from Stow said the amendment would make equality “a foundational obligation” rather than a temporary statutory protection, while other members framed the vote as an opportunity to guard civil rights amid shifting federal jurisprudence. After members explained their votes during a requested roll call, the clerk announced: “Those voting yes 128. Those voting no 14.” The clerk declared that “the constitutional proposal is adopted in concurrence.”
Under Vermont procedure cited on the floor, the amendment will become part of the state constitution only if the same proposed amendment is subsequently approved again in the next biennium and then ratified by a majority of voters on the November 2026 ballot pursuant to 17 V.S.A. chapter 32. House members requested the roll-call method given the proposal's significance.
Next steps: Because the House adopted the proposal in concurrence, the amendment proceeds in the constitutional-amendment process outlined in state law; the full timetable includes a second biennium vote in the Legislature and a statewide ratification vote in November 2026.
