A New Mexico state senator bragged publicly Thursday about throwing a 12-week fetal model in the trash, slamming the realistic image of an unborn baby as “offensive.”
State Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Bernalillo, made the comment before voting “yes” on a bill that would keep abortions up to birth legal in New Mexico for years to come, the Piñon Post reports. The local news outlet shared a video of his comments on Twitter.
Calling the fetal model a “prop,” Candelaria told lawmakers on the Senate floor: “I threw it away, threw it right in the trash, right in the trash. Why? Because it’s offensive!”
Right to Life of New Mexico gave 12-week fetal models to state lawmakers ahead of the vote, according to the report. Fetal models show the size and features of unborn babies at various stages of development. Typically, they come with scientifically accurate information about the unborn baby’s development.
Candelaria said the fetal model offended him because people have different beliefs about when life begins.
“Why is it offensive? Because not everybody in our plural democratic society believes that life begins at conception,” he said. “And just because you believe that morally or because your religion says so doesn’t mean the rest of us have to. We’re a democracy.”
His comments ignored how science proves that a unique, irreplaceable human life comes into being at conception. And even abortionists in his own state admit that they are “killing” babies.
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From NM Senate debate today on abortion up-to-birth and infanticide S.B. 10: Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo) calls models of 12-week old baby babies provided by Right to Life of NM “offensive” and claims life doesn’t begin at conception (despite medical science). Watch ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/uEHbZLBF2M
— Piñon Post (@PinonPost) February 12, 2021
Notably, Candelaria was not just lobbying for abortions in early stages of pregnancy when some people still question the biology of human life.
Mike Seibel, general counsel for Abortion on Trial, told LifeNews that Candelaria opposed a proposal to ban abortions after 35 weeks of pregnancy when unborn babies are fully formed and viable.
“Sen. Candelaria’s actions of throwing baby models in the trash are symbolic of Democrats’ willingness to throw all preborn babies in the trash whether at 12 weeks or 35 weeks,” Seibel said.
On Thursday, Candelaria and other Senate Democrats approved a bill to repeal a 1969 New Mexico statute that prohibits abortions except in cases of rape, incest or threats to the mother’s life. The statute is not in effect because of Roe v. Wade, but if it is repealed, the state would continue to allow unborn babies to be aborted for any reason up to birth even if Roe is overturned.
The bill also would repeal the only conscience protections for pro-life medical workers in the state. Currently, the statute protects doctors, nurses and other medical workers from discrimination if they refuse to abort an unborn baby based on moral or religious grounds.
Republicans proposed several amendments and substitute bills, including one to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and another after 35 weeks, but Democrats rejected them.
Abortions up to birth already are legal in New Mexico, and abortionist Curtis Boyd recently admitted that he has “no set limit” on abortions. His Albuquerque abortion facility advertises late-term abortions openly on its website.
