Vermont

How did gay marriage become legal? How civil unions paved the way 25 years ago.

Published

1 year ago

April 26, 2025

How did gay marriage become legal? How civil unions paved the way 25 years ago.

Gay marriage, once an unpopular concept nationwide, is widely accepted in Vermont today.

“People take for granted that same-sex couples can get married nowadays,” said Bill Lippert, 75, one of Vermont’s first openly gay lawmakers. “You can reference your husband or wife casually now in conversation. But if you weren’t around 25 years ago, there isn’t always an appreciation for how hard we had to fight.”

April 26 marks the 25th anniversary of civil unions – marriage for same-sex couples in all but name – becoming state law. Although civil unions were deeply controversial even among Vermonters at the time, they served as the first pivotal step toward full marriage equality, Lippert said.

In 2000, Vermont became the first place in the world to grant marriage-equivalent legal rights to same-sex couples. Domestic partnerships existed in some places, but those unions “usually only granted a few legal rights,” Lippert said.

“The eyes of the whole country and world were focused on what Vermont was doing in 2000,” said Lippert, who helped craft the civil unions bill while serving on the house judiciary committee.

Three years later Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage, followed by Connecticut and Iowa in 2008. Vermont followed suit in 2009. Several more states legalized same-sex marriage before U.S Supreme Court finally made it nationwide law in 2015 through the Obergefell v. Hodges case.

“One can see the direct connection between what Vermont did in 2000 with civil unions to what followed in Massachusetts and eventually with Obergefell in 2015,” Lippert said.

Life before civil unions

Prior to the creation of civil unions, gay and lesbian couples lacked “a thousand more rights” than married straight couples, Lippert said, no matter how long they had been together.

For instance, if one partner in a same-sex relationship was in hospital, the other partner did not automatically have the power of attorney.

“That was one of the most painful ones,” Lippert said.

Lippert recalled one particularly egregious case that happened to a lesbian couple with a child. When the partner who had given birth to the child died in a car crash, her parents fought for custody even though the two women had been raising the kid together.

“The list goes on and on,” Lippert said.

Although Vermont eventually established “second parent adoption” in 1993, there still wasn’t a “legal connection between partners,” Lippert noted.

“That side of the triangle was missing,” he said.

The road to civil unions: ‘The Baker Case’

In the late 90s, three lawyers and three same-sex couples decided it was time to test Vermont’s marriage laws.

In 1998, three Vermont same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in Chittenden County. When their marriages were denied, they filed a lawsuit that became known as Baker v. Vermont, or informally ‘the Baker Case,’ after the last name of one of the plaintiffs. A Vermont Superior Court judge ruled to dismiss the case, so the plaintiffs made an appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court.

What the Vermont Supreme Court did next shocked everyone. Instead of either legalizing gay marriage or striking down the case, the justices ruled in 1999 that same-sex couples should be afforded all the same legal rights as heterosexual couples but left it up to the Vermont legislature whether to grant gay couples the ability to marry or form an equivalent union.

“Personally, I was shocked because I had been assured by the attorneys fighting for gay marriage that we would never have to vote on it in the legislature,” Lippert said. “Many of my colleagues were, frankly, beyond anxious – terrified – because they never wanted to deal with the issue because it was so controversial.”

At the time, some states were changing their constitutions to outlaw gay marriage. The Defense of Marriage Act also went into effect two years prior. In Vermont specifically, only 20% of residents supported gay marriage.

Gay marriage “was not a popular proposal,” Lippert recalled. “It was hotly condemned and fought against by major religious groups as an affront to their religious sacraments.” One of their main fears was that churches would be forced to marry gay couples.

‘Separate but equal’

The Vermont legislature was already in mid-session when the court dropped the issue of gay marriage in their laps. The house judicial committee, where Lippert served as vice chair, was tasked with writing the bill that would grant gay couples the right to marry or to form an equivalent union.

After listening to weeks of testimony from supporters and opponents of gay marriage, the committee voted to create a “parallel legal structure,” which they named civil unions, Lippert said.

“It was very disappointing for the attorneys and advocates, but it was clear that we did not have the votes to create full marriage for same-sex couples,” said Lippert, who was among the three committee members to vote for gay marriage.

Some gay marriage advocates at the time found the idea of civil unions insulting and akin to the concept of “Separate but equal.”

Some activists said civil unions were like “having to sit on the back of the bus” and refused to support the bill, Lippert said. “Others said, ‘At least we’re on the bus.’”

The lawsuit plaintiffs and their attorneys decided “it was better to pass something achievable than pass something that would fail and then get nothing,” Lippert said.

Victory uncertain

On the day house reps were scheduled to vote, Lippert and his committee members weren’t sure if they had enough support to pass civil unions in house. Some representatives wouldn’t share their plans, while others kept saying they “needed more information” before they could decide which way to vote.

For some representatives, a “yes” vote guaranteed they would lose their seats in either the primary or general elections later that year.

“Until the roll call, none of us knew we were going to win,” said Lippert. “It would have taken a few votes to switch and we would have lost.”

After 12 hours of debate and testimony that day, the Vermont house voted 76-69 to pass the civil unions bill.

Lippert primarily attributed the win to “courageous” gay Vermonters, loved ones and other advocates who shared personal stories throughout the bill process. Some gay people even came out publicly for the first time to throw their support behind the bill.

Lippert also thinks the “hateful phone calls and letters” legislators received made them realize why civil unions were necessary.

“They saw why we needed this,” Lippert said. “That if this is the level of prejudice and hatefulness that comes at me, what must it be like for gay people? The hate backfired.”

Once civil unions passed the house, it was much smoother sailing for gay advocates. The senate, which had a higher percentage of Democrats than the house, passed civil unions 19-11.

Gov. Howard Dean, who already voiced his approval of civil unions, signed the bill into law soon after – albeit behind closed doors and without fanfare.

“He said publicly that marriage for same-sex couples made him uncomfortable” but that he could back civil unions, Lippert remembered. Even still, Dean’s support was “crucial.”

“If he hadn’t been willing to say he would sign the bill, I don’t think we would have passed it,” Lippert said. “People wouldn’t have risked voting for it.”

The aftermath

Later that year, 17 legislators who voted for civil unions in April 2000 lost their seats to opponents who promised to help repeal the institution. Dean, who had to wear a bulletproof vest during his gubernatorial campaign, also faced an ardent anti-civil unions challenger.

“It’s hard to explain the level of controversy and some of the hatefulness directed at the governor and lawmakers,” Lippert said.

The following session, the now more conservative house managed to repeal civil unions by one vote, but the effort died in the senate.

Between 2000 and 2009, thousands of gay couples from other states and nations traveled to Vermont to enter civil unions. They wanted legal recognition of their relationship somewhere even if their home state or country wouldn’t respect it, Lippert said.

“At the time, I would have been happy to have settled the case in court,” Lippert said. “But looking back, I think it would have garnered greater backlash if the court had granted gay marriage or an equivalent institution directly.”

That’s what happened in Hawaii. In 1996, the Hawaiian Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny marriage to same-sex couples. An enormous public backlash ensued, and by 1998, Hawaiians had changed their state constitution to outlaw gay marriage.

Amending Vermont’s constitution wouldn’t have been as easy – it takes multiple years versus only one in Hawaii – but there definitely were some lawmakers who wanted to, Lippert said. Such an amendment never got off the ground, however.

“My view is civil unions was a historic step for civil marriage for same-sex couples,” Lippert said. “Saying that full marriage equality was important does not take away from civil unions moving us to marriage equality in a profound way.”

Lippert and his spouse eventually entered a civil union themselves. They then got married once Vermont legalized what Lippert now calls “full marriage equality.”

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VT Lottery Mega Millions, Gimme 5 results for May 8, 2026

Published

9 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.

Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.

Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.

Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Vermont Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing

37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16

Check Vermont Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Gimme 5 numbers from May 8 drawing

06-10-11-36-37

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 8 drawing

Day: 3-6-1

Evening: 0-3-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 8 drawing

Day: 6-3-7-3

Evening: 7-1-6-1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing

14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.

For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.

All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.

Vermont Lottery Headquarters

1311 US Route 302, Suite 100

Barre, VT

05641

When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?

Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Alison Clarkson’s legacy in Vermont legislature – Valley News

Published

21 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Alison Clarkson’s legacy in Vermont legislature – Valley News

WOODSTOCK — Alison Clarkson and Mike Marcotte started in the Vermont Legislature the same year, after winning election in 2004. Beyond that, they would seem at first not to have much in common.

Marcotte, a Republican, grew up in Newport, Vt., near the Canadian border, while Clarkson, a Democrat, grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., in a politically active family, went to Harvard and then produced theater in New York City before moving to Vermont in the 1990s. They’re from opposing parties at a time of growing partisanship, and it’s safe to say that where Marcotte is a steady, no-nonsense Vermonter, Clarkson is more outspoken, a live wire, even.

State Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock, greets a group of her supporters from Woodstock, including her campaign treasurer Ann Boyd, foreground, during a recess in the Senate during their visit to the state house in Montpelier, Vt., on Thursday, May 8, 2026 for “Alison In Action Day.” The group toured the building and watched proceedings from the Senate gallery before having lunch with Clarkson. JAMES M. PATTERSON / Valley News

“Alison’s flamboyant, to say the least, but her heart is in the same place mine is,” Marcotte said in a phone interview. She wants to help the people of Vermont and “when you’re working on the subjects that we’re working on, there’s no political divide there,” he said.

And so as chairman of the Vermont House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, Marcotte, R-Coventry, has worked closely with Clarkson, D-Woodstock, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs.

For example, together with their committees, they developed the state’s new Office of Workforce Strategy and Development, an administrative agency overseen by the governor’s office.

But now after serving in the House for six terms and five terms in the Senate, this term will be Clarkson’s last. She will leave Montpelier after 22 years with a reputation for working doggedly for her constituents and for bridging a previous generation of lawmakers, particularly in the Senate, and a new, younger corps who are picking up the baton.

“Building trust and building relationships, that’s how you get things done,” Clarkson said. “You’ve got to take time to get to know each other.”

Marcotte, who also has decided not to seek a new term, has seen this belief, and Clarkson’s work ethic, in action.

“I just think that she’s done the job that she was elected to do, over and above what the expectations were,” Marcotte said.

A varied career

Clarkson first ran for the Vermont House seat representing Woodstock and Plymouth in 2004. She was 49 at the time and had two children in school. Her eldest, Ward Goodenough, was in boarding school, and William was at Woodstock Elementary, age 10.

To put the length of her career in the Legislature into perspective, both of her boys got married last summer. Ward is Windsor County State’s Attorney and Will works for Indeed, the job search website, in New York City.

Her career in the Statehouse has been varied, which has kept her going. “There is no same-old, same-old” in the Legislature, she said.

She served on the Judiciary Committee and on Ways and Means, which writes tax policy, in the House, and served two terms as majority leader in the Senate.

The Legislature’s achievements during her tenure were groundbreaking, including the 2009 passage of the state’s gay marriage law, and expanding a patient’s choices at the end of life, the so-called “death with dignity” law, which passed in 2013. The state also has tightened gun safety laws.

And much of this work was completed with women leading the Legislature. At one point, all four top legislative positions were held by women, Clarkson noted. She called it “the golden age of women in leadership,” in Vermont.

In recent years, Clarkson has been in the forefront of efforts to pass consumer protection laws, and to improve opportunities for working Vermonters through economic development, by virtue of her committee chairwomanship.

“I love the range of it,” she said of leading the Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee. The “general affairs” part of the title includes regulating alcohol and cannabis, labor issues and consumer protection, including data protection.

The state’s crises

But the list of issues that have resisted solution over the past two decades is long and consequential, topped by the cost of health care, the state’s fragmented education landscape, and the affordability crisis that has priced many young and working people out of the state, despite a desperate need for workers.

The difficulty of addressing these issues stems in part from Vermont’s small size up against global economic forces, Clarkson said. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, has run on affordability over the past decade and there hasn’t been much improvement.

“There’s what things cost, that we have little control over,” Clarkson said. “Then there’s what people are earning.” Vermont underpays, she said.

That means residents who work remotely from Vermont at jobs in larger markets out-earn their neighbors who are reliant on the local economy. And housing, in particular, is part of a global market. This, too, is not a new problem.

“People with New York and Boston incomes are coming here and buying homes, which is driving prices higher,” Clarkson told the Valley News in October 2004, during her first campaign for the House.

Now, she said, “I have a son who’s trying to buy a house in the town he grew up in and it’s brutal.” Woodstock could use 300 units of housing right away, “and it would all be full,” she said.

Through her committee’s work, she has seen how time-consuming it is to encourage housing construction. A new housing law enacted last year, and measures under consideration this year, will take time to bear fruit.

Public education will likely have to undergo a form of regionalization at the middle and high school level, Clarkson said, and she suspects that some of the state’s small elementary schools will close or merge if they are no longer viable.

But she doesn’t see much appetite for a sweeping redrawing of school districts, either among the public or among lawmakers. There’s pressure to cut costs, but it’s also possible that, as high as the price tag may be, the state is spending what it should be spending on education, Clarkson said.

She was the first lawmaker to argue that the state shouldn’t be sending public education money to out-of-state private schools, a practice that was curtailed under Act 73, the sweeping education law enacted last year.

“My concern is that the Legislature could decide to spend less and rein in education spending to the point where it would be punitive,” Clarkson said. “I’m not sure we’ve found the sweet spot yet in the financial model,” she added.

Building trust

As much as she has tried to build relationships in Montpelier, she worries that there isn’t going to be enough trust built up among lawmakers to solve the state’s most pressing problems.

Since she started in the House, fewer lawmakers stay overnight in the capital, and there are fewer events where lawmakers get together, Clarkson said. It’s easier for people who get to know each other to work together and make deals.

“I would say the Legislature has not really made it a priority to build the relationships to move beyond partisanship,” Clarkson said.

Even so, the process still works pretty well, she said. Legislators have to meet in committee and get to know each other there. And everyone hears the same testimony, so they’re working from the same facts.

Being a legislator is a people-focused job, Clarkson said.

“If you aren’t genuinely interested in people and what their needs are, and how we solve the problems they face, you won’t last long in the Legislature,” she said.

While Clarkson is very much a joiner — her husband, law professor Oliver Goodenough, called her “naturally gregarious” — she can also come off as a forceful personality.

When she first met Clarkson, in 2016, state Sen. Becca White, D-Hartford, found her off-putting.

“She was such a starkly different political figure than anyone I had ever met,” White said in a phone interview. Clarkson is a “loud, in-charge type of person,” as White is herself, she acknowledged.

White, then a Hartford Selectboard member barely of legal drinking age, was interested in running for a vacant Windsor District Senate seat. Clarkson invited her up to the Statehouse for lunch.

White was the lunch, pretty much. Clarkson told her, ” ‘I’m going to go out there and I’m going to win it,’ ” White recalled. “I chose, at that point, not to run for Senate.”

She did later run successfully for the House, and for Senate in 2022. For White, and for Sen. Joe Major, who was elected in 2024, Clarkson has been a transitional figure.

When she reached the Senate in 2017, Clarkson’s colleagues in the Windsor District delegation were Dick McCormack, who retired last year, and Alice Nitka, two veteran Democrats. Both had been around long enough to cast votes for Act 60, the state’s landmark education finance law, in 1997, shortly before White turned 3.

“Alison is one of my most formative mentors,” White said.

And they’re good friends. Clarkson’s outsize personality makes it easier for White to be “a more authentic version of myself,” she said.

It helps, too, that Clarkson knows everyone in and around the Statehouse.

“She knows exactly who she is, and she works extremely hard,” White said.

With lawmakers like Clarkson, 71, and her collaborator Marcotte, 67, leaving the Statehouse, another generational shift is underway.

“I do see a lot of folks who are exhausted,” White said, particularly in the House.

The biggest change in her 22 years as a legislator, Clarkson said, was the volume of email. Sifting through and responding to it has made the job harder, the days longer.

Looking ahead

Clarkson realized in 2024 that she was facing her last term in Montpelier.

“I got to the end of the campaign and I just knew I didn’t want to have to campaign again, for myself,” she said in an interview at her Woodstock home.

Those last two words are important. While she’s leaving the Legislature after this term, Clarkson plans to stay engaged in politics and public life. She’ll help with other campaigns and stay involved in issues where she feels she has something to offer.

“The gift of this building,” she said in a phone interview from the Statehouse lounge, where she works until 11 or 11:30 most nights, “is you see all the opportunities and all the needs.”

Post-Legislature, Clarkson plans to take on one opportunity, establishing a new culinary school in Vermont, and one need, becoming a guardian ad litem.

Vermont is a farm-to-table state, Clarkson said, and has struggled to train people for its vibrant restaurant scene since the closure of the for-profit New England Culinary Institute in 2021.

“When NECI closed, we lost a very important workforce development pipeline,” she said. The school also brought students into the state.

Clarkson first learned of the guardian ad litem, or GAL, program when she was on the House Judiciary Committee. A GAL is a trained volunteer who represents children in court, particularly in cases of abuse or neglect.

Vermont currently has 278 GALs, but needs around 400.

“I think I could be helpful,” she said.

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VT Lottery Gimme 5, Pick 3 results for May 7, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.

Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.

Here’s a look at May 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Gimme 5 numbers from May 7 drawing

07-20-33-37-39

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 7 drawing

Day: 2-5-1

Evening: 9-5-1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 7 drawing

Day: 0-4-5-3

Evening: 6-6-7-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 7 drawing

05-08-21-44-48, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Vermont Lottery Headquarters

1311 US Route 302, Suite 100

Barre, VT

05641

When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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