Some members of the Vermont House so wanted to vote to require parental notification before teenagers undergo abortions that they tried to tack it onto the medical marijuana bill.
The connection between the seemingly miles-apart issues was the parental permission provision in the existing medical marijuana law.
The debate never took place. Rep. Ann Pugh, D-South Burlington, asked House Speaker Gaye
Symington to rule on whether the parental notification amendment was germane.
Symington concluded it wasn't.
Rep. Duncan
Kilmartin, R-Newport, who led the 28-member effort to bring up parental notification, asked for a vote to allow debate on the non-germane amendment -- essentially asking the House to overrule
Symington. He needed three-quarters of the votes cast to win. He lost 107-39.
The tally doesn't represent much. It's not a measure of opposition to parental notification. Some supporters of parental notification voted with the speaker because there's a tradition about not challenging rulings -- especially those viewed as common sense.
--Nancy
Remsen
