Coalition urges support for constitutional amendment

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(Host) A new coalition wants voters to support a proposed amendment to the Vermont Constitution on Election Day.

Currently, the constitution requires all judges in the state to retire at the age of 70. The amendment calls on the Legislature to study this issue and it allows the General Assembly to increase the retirement age or abolish it.

Bobbi Kaimen, state director of the Vermont chapter of AARP, says the wording of the amendment is confusing and she wants to be certain that Vermonters support the proposal when they cast their ballots:

(Kaimen) “We believe strongly that retirement decisions should be based on one’s abilities, rather than an arbitrary age cap. It’s our view that the language in the constitution currently is both outdated and discriminatory and our General Assembly agrees that it needs updating. We’ve done away with age discrimination for almost all other employees and this measure would really finish the job.”

(Host) The alliance supporting the constitutional amendment includes the Coalition of Vermont Elders, the Vermont Human Rights Commission and the Vermont ACLU.

The statewide vote on the amendment is the final step in the ratification process. If voters support the plan, it will become part of the Vermont Constitution.

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