Constitutional amendment prohibiting slavery clears committee [View all]

The Senate Government Operations Committee unanimously approved a proposition Friday that would amend the Vermont Constitution to state that slavery and indentured servitude are “in any form, prohibited.”

Slavery was already illegal under the document, but the new language makes clear that it is prohibited regardless of a person’s age, not just for those over 21, and that indentured servitude is always illegal, with a person’s debts or consent having no bearing on the practice.

“We know that slavery happened,” said Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham. “The Constitution expresses our ideals, not necessarily our behavior. We know that there are many things in here that we regularly misbehave about.”

The lawmakers heard testimony from many staunch advocates of the change, both at committee meetings and at a public hearing on the amendment.

Read more: https://vtdigger.org/2019/04/12/constitutional-amendment-prohibiting-slavery-clears-committee/