BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It was 25 years ago the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples are being unfairly denied the rights and benefits of married couples. In response, the Legislature created Civil Unions.
In this week’s special edition of 802 News, Mark Johnson takes a look back at the landmark Baker decision. In Part One, plaintiff Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan discuss that tumultuous time and the vitriol they and others endured. In Part Two, Tom Little, the chair of House Judiciary Committee in 2000, talks about getting the historic Civil Union bill passed and the political backlash some two dozen lawmakers faced from groups like Take Back Vermont.