1. Voting “Yes” on Proposal 4 would exacerbate Vermont’s affordability issues.
a. Providing equity programs (aka DEI, aka affirmative action) to state-sanctioned “historically marginalized groups” would sustain existing bureaucracy and create new bureaucracy, at taxpayer expense.
b. $1.2 billion of the State Fiscal Year 2027 budget is allocated to Human Services, representing the largest single expenditure category.
See page 8: https://finance.vermont.gov/sites/finance/files/documents/Budget%20Presentation%20FY27.pdf
c. Proposal 4 would place a financial burden on taxpayers and private industries, would drive businesses and young adults out of Vermont, and would prevent Vermont from attracting new businesses.
d. Vermont taxpayers would be on the hook for paying for lawsuits by plaintiffs claiming their rights have been violated, either under Proposal 4 or under the 14th Amendment.