a. Article 1, Chapter 1 of the Vermont Constitution and the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution enshrine the principle that EACH individual is protected EQUALLY under the law.
b. Vermont has robust anti-discrimination laws regarding employment and housing. Some legislators and proponents claim Proposal 4 is needed to ensure that future legislatures will not roll back equal rights. This is a preposterous claim.
No legislator is going to vote to repeal Vermont’s existing anti-discrimination employment and housing laws that protect people’s rights equally. No legislature is going to roll back a woman’s right to vote or make it okay to pay a woman less for a job than a man. No legislature is going to pass laws to discriminate against people because of the color of their skin, race, ethnicity, sex, disability, etc.
[1] Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act is found in 21 V.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter 6 (§§ 495–495h). It prohibits discrimination by employers with one or more employees. https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/21/005/00495
[2] Vermont Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act is located in 9 V.S.A. Chapter 139 (§§ 4501–4503). It covers discrimination in housing, public accommodations, and credit. https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/09/139/04501
c. Vermont already has laws that provide preferential treatment by government to persons based upon their group identity. This is discriminatory.