The New Mexico House passed a radical pro-abortion bill Tuesday that could force teachers and school nurses to help students get secret abortions without their parents’ knowledge.
Lawmakers voted 38-31 to approve state House Bill 7, with six Democrats joining Republicans in voting against it. The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
“An insane and inhumane bill to force public bodies to facilitate abortions and transgender surgeries just passed the House 38-31. Horrific and vile,” state Rep. John Block, R-Otero, wrote on Twitter after the vote.
Sponsored by state Rep. Linda Serrato, D-Santa Fe, the bill is supposed to protect “access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care” in New Mexico by prohibiting school boards, city councils and other local governments from discriminating against people based on their “reproductive” choices.
But pro-life leaders warned the legislation essentially would create an abortion compliance mandate for teachers and other public employees.
During a pro-life rally Monday at the state Capitol organized by the New Mexico Alliance for Life, state Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Bernalillo, said pro-lifers who work for public institutions could subject their employers to lawsuits just because they personally believe killing unborn babies is wrong.
“If you’re a UNM medical professional, a public university employee, public grade school teacher, or even an Acequia employee who is asked to refer for an abortion or transgender procedure – your employer could be sued if you don’t comply or merely ask a question about it,” Lord said. “HB 7 is so vaguely written. It’s lawsuit central.”
Dr. Gregg Schmedes, a state senator and surgeon, said the bill will harm vulnerable children, too.
“’Gender affirming care’ violates the medical profession by forcing a no-questions-asked, substandard healthcare model upon vulnerable children,” Schmedes said. “HB 7 will force heath care professionals to violate standards of care by mandating treatment despite the best interest of the patient.”
ACTION ALERT: To oppose this radical pro-abortion bill in the New Mexico Senate, Contact New Mexico state senators.
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, state Rep. Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, introduced several amendments Tuesday on the House floor, including an “opt out” option for public school teachers who believe abortion is morally wrong. However, Democrat lawmakers rejected the amendments.
KOB 4 reports Lane later commented, “Sadly, I think we’re unnecessarily pitting parents against their children when it comes to very important and vital medical decisions, and I’m concerned about sweeping in other people other than medical providers when we start getting into the classroom, when we start getting into the local government arena.”
Elisa Martinez, executive director of the New Mexico Alliance for Life, said a public school teacher could be required to help facilitate a secret abortion for a student “despite the best interest of the child” and even if they believe abortion is wrong.
Her organization pointed to language in the bill that prohibits any public institution that receives taxpayer funding and its employees from interfering with or denying a person’s access to abortion. Institutions that violate the mandate could face penalties of up to $5,000.
Democrats control the New Mexico legislature, and state laws allow unborn babies to be aborted for any reason up to birth.
Recently, local governments in conservative parts of the state have been passing ordinances to protect unborn babies from abortion and prevent abortion businesses from opening there. These ordinances have angered pro-abortion Democrat leaders, and House Bill 7 is one of their efforts to try to stop local pro-life efforts.
Martinez said the bill would take power out of the hands of local citizens and give it to already powerful bureaucrats to “force compliance for these elective procedures.”
Her organization urged state residents to contact their lawmakers and sign a petition against the bill.
ACTION ALERT: To oppose this radical pro-abortion bill in the New Mexico Senate, Contact New Mexico state senators.
