Pregnancy Center Saved Me

By Jean Marie Davis, Opinion Contributor (pictured right)*

Not long ago, I stood before the Vermont Senate and testified about my experience as a human trafficking survivor who became the first black female pregnancy center director in the state.  

I had been asked to testify against a bill targeting pro-life pregnancy help centers, falsely claiming that we “mislead” the public about our services.  

But my story puts the lie to this narrative and proves the beautiful truth of our work — that pregnancy centers love, serve and commit ourselves to the men, women and children of our communities who need our help. We know firsthand how our assistance can transform someone’s life. 

More People Going to Vermont to Die

Ever since Vermont removed its residency requirement for medical aid in dying last year [assisted suicide & euthanasia], Dr. Diana Barnard hasn’t been able to keep up with the phone calls from would-be patients.

"It can be hard. I have, like, three calls sitting on my phone right now," she said during a conversation at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury, (pictured here) where she works as a palliative care physician.

Assisted Suicide Statistics

Isaac Jackson, Esq.

By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

According to an article in yesterday's Vermont Digger: 

The report released this week —  which covered the two years between July 1, 2017, June 30, 2019 — said that 34 patients qualified for the terminal prescriptions under Vermont’s law. Of those, 24 had cancer, four had ALS, three had neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, and three others had unspecified conditions.

A few years ago, I investigated a death under Oregon's similar law in conjunction with attorney Isaac Jackson. There was a near complete lack of transparency in which even the police were unable to obtain verifying information regarding deaths under the law. To learn more, click here.

First State Report on Vermont Assisted Suicide

From True Dignity Vermont

On January 15, 2018, the Vermont Department of Health presented its first report to the legislature and public on the implementation of the state’s physician assisted suicide law. The legislature had passed the law, Act 39, in 2013 and replaced it in 2015 with Act 27, which maintains Act 39 under “Oregon-style” regulations, including a requirement for biennial reporting.

The law has been in effect for four years, and the current report covers all of them.