Vermont Gubernatorial Candidate Peter Shumlin Has His Facts Wrong on Abortion

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 13, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Vermont Gubernatorial Candidate Peter Shumlin Has His Facts Wrong on Abortion

by Mary Hahn Beerworth
October 13, 2010

LifeNews.com Note: Mary Hahn Beerworth is the executive director of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, a pro-life organization that is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.

In today’s gubernatorial debate at the Burlington Free Press, Peter Shumlin incorrectly stated that abortion was illegal in Vermont before Roe v. Wade. Shumlin further implied that should Roe v. Wade be overturned, an act of the legislature would be required to make abortion legal in Vermont.

However, Shumlin needs a history lesson. In 1972, The Vermont Supreme Court invalidated Vermont’s abortion statute, finding it unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. See Beecham v. Leahy.

While no legal experts are predicting that Roe v. Wade is likely to be overturned, the fact remains that the State of Vermont would revert to the Beecham .v Leahy decision and abortion would remain legal.

Peter Shumlin concocted an outlandish scenario for his own purposes and is spreading inaccurate information.

The Peter Shumlin Record

Peter Shumlin supports unrestricted abortion throughout the entire nine months of a woman’s pregnancy including the gruesome late-term partial-birth abortion procedure.

Peter Shumlin also supports taxpayer funding of every abortion and opposes parental involvement laws.

As a legislator, Peter Shumlin:

· Voted to allow the use of aborted babies for research (1990).

· Signed a legislators pro-abortion petition (1995 & 1996).

· Voted to allow state funding of partial-birth abortions (House Appropriations Bill, 5/9/1997).

· Sponsored bills to legalize physician-assisted suicide.

As Senate President Pro-Tempore, Peter Shumlin was part of the decision to shut down debate in the Senate on the Parental Notification Bill even after it passed the House of Representatives (2001). He was also part of the decision to shut down debate on Fetal Homicide legislation in the wake of the “Bennington Babies” tragedy.

Peter Shumlin has been endorsed by pro-abortion organizations from 1990 through 2010, including Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and the National Abortion Rights Action League of VT.

Shumlin is also endorsed by the pro-euthanasia organization in Vermont. He has vowed, if elected, to pass a physician-assisted suicide bill in 2011.

 

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