A radical pro-abortion bill that could force New Mexico teachers and school nurses to help students get secret abortions without their parents’ knowledge passed the state Senate on Tuesday.
State House Bill 7 also would punish local towns and counties if they pass ordinances to ban abortion facilities and protect unborn babies from abortion. Additionally, pro-life leaders warn that it includes language that mirrors radical infanticide measures in California and Maryland bills.
“Today was a tragic day for our state as a majority of New Mexico Senate Dems voted in favor of radical HB 7’s unscientific infanticide, abortion and transgender mandate,” said Elisa Martinez, executive director of New Mexico Alliance for Life. “It’s really shameful that the bill sponsors misled the public throughout this process, until [Tuesday], Senator Duhigg admits HB 7 is indeed a mandate and aims to ‘change behavior’ regardless of conscience objections, long term health impact and parent’s rights.”
According to the Source NM, the State senate passed the bill in a 23-15 vote with one Democrat joining Republicans in voting against it, state Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas. It heads back to the state House for final approval of amendments and then to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a pro-abortion Democrat.
Republican lawmakers spoke out passionately about protecting unborn babies and introduced several amendments to the bill, but none passed, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
“I know that we don’t want to know that this baby is a baby,” said Sen. Bill Sharer, R-Farmington. “I know we want to hide that fact from each other because it helps our conscience. As long as we don’t know what we’re killing, then it doesn’t hurt as bad.”
ACTION ALERT: To oppose the bill, please Contact New Mexico lawmakers.
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.
State House Bill 7 also is one of Democrats’ attempts to stop their constituents from protecting unborn babies at the local level.
Recently, several city and county governments in conservative parts of New Mexico have passed ordinances to protect unborn babies from abortion and prevent abortion businesses from opening there. These ordinances have angered pro-abortion Democrat leaders, and the bill would fine local governments $5,000 or more for supposedly interfering with access to abortion.
During the debate Tuesday, state Sen. Crystal Diamond, R-Elephant Butte, slammed Democrats for trying to stop “locally elected officials representing and carrying the voice of their constituents” who do not want abortion businesses in their towns, according to the Source.
Martinez of the New Mexico Alliance for Life said the bill also could force a public school teacher 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.
But state Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, the Senate sponsor, argued that the bill just protects New Mexicans’ ability to obtain “life-saving care”; it does not force anyone to help with abortions, the report continues.
“We can ensure that public bodies who are supposed to keep all of us safe aren’t able to use their power to block access to life-saving care and discriminate against New Mexicans,” Duhigg said.
Pro-life lawmakers proposed amendments Tuesday to require parental consent for minors and require an ultrasound prior to every abortion, but none passed, according to the report.
After the vote, Diamond commented on Twitter, “That means a 10yr old girl can get an abortion or a 9yr boy can change genders — all without parent permission.”
According to the New Mexico Alliance for Life:
Senator William Sharer, (R-San Juan) offered the first amendment on the floor to remove the term, “perinatal,” from the definition of Reproductive Health Care in Section 2C …
The legalized infanticide portion of HB 7 in section 3C mirrors language of the radical California and Maryland bills that shocked the nation. In an effort to deceive the public, the abortion lobby behind this bill tried to sneak in the operative term, “perinatal” into another section, 2C of the radical bill. Perinatal as defined in legal terms, encompasses 28 days after birth. In fact, Minority Leader, Senator Greg Baca noted in a Senate Judiciary hearing the bill as written, opens the door for legalized infanticide by removing “criminal liability or penalty,” based on actions or inaction with respect to their pregnancy that are “actual, potential, or alleged pregnancy outcome.”
Baca, R-Belen, lamented for the future of New Mexico after the bill passed.
“Where is this state headed?” Baca said. “Where are we headed in things like morality and family building and loving people and taking care of each other? … I hope that God has forgiveness on us.”
New Mexico has some of the most pro-abortion laws in the country. The state allows unborn babies to be aborted for any reason up to birth and forces taxpayers to pay for their deaths.
Its Democrat leaders have been working aggressively to expand abortions even more since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Gov. Grisham, a supposed Catholic, recently promised to spend $10 million of taxpayers’ money to build a new abortion facility near the Texas border. Texas laws protect unborn babies from abortion.
ACTION ALERT: To oppose the bill, please Contact New Mexico lawmakers.
