( – promoted by odum)

So, how in the world did I miss this? This snippet from the Messenger is referring to St. Albans Town:

Representatives from the Knights of Columbus went before the board at a budget meeting Tuesday asking that the Parental Notification Initiative item be placed on the ballot. They said 40 to 50 other Vermont towns have already agreed to the request.

“We are attempting to get this on all the ballots in the state,”
said Knights of Columbus President Jim Bianca.

I missed this completely. And lo and behold, its not just St. Albans Town, parental notification is on at least 31 town ballots this year. Click on “theres more” for a running list of towns…

The towns we know of are:

Bakersfield
Barton
Chester
Clarendon
Enosburg Falls
Fairfield
Ira
Kirby
Mendon
Middletown Springs
Milton
Moretown
Montgomery
Morristown
Morrisville
Newport City
Newport Town
Norton
Richford
Sheldon
St Albans City
St Albans Town
Stockbridge
Sudbury
Sutton
Underhill
Waterford
Westfield
Westmore
West Rutland
Windsor

It should be noted that this is an advisory ballot item, like the ones usually run by more lefty groups. Still, it’s a shot across the bow that with the RATS in power (thats Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scalia), VT Right-to-Life is feeling its oats. With such help in high places, this merits watching.

Of course the best thing that could happen here is a good ol fashioned smackdown at Town Meeting, but if any issue is going to let the anti-choice crowd squeeze their way in the door, its notification. People tend to turn off their brains and act impulsively on the issue (if you need convincing, check out this piece from Planned Parenthood).

The group nominally behind these petitions is a 527 called “Caring Vermont Parents.” They seem to be moving up from being simply an anti Senator Kittell organization and are looking to hit the big time through this and a little exploitation of the Judge Cashman thing. More on these guys soon.