Late-Term Abortion & Conscience Protection Bills Tabled

On Tuesday night (March 5, 2019), the House Public Affairs Committee moved to table HB-600, the Keisha Atkins Women's Protection Act, and HB-608, protecting doctors from being forced to perform abortions. Keisha’s mother, Tina testified for the bill which bears her daughter’s namesake, pleading with the committee to help “end late-term abortion in New Mexico-once and for all"

ACTION ALERT: CONTACT NM SENATORS BELOW TO STOP RADICAL ANTI-LIFE BILLS, HB 51, SB 153 (read more below).

Despite Tina’s heart-wrenching testimony, Representatives Liz Thompson (D-24), Andrea Romero (D-46), and Angelica Rubio(D-35) voted to table both bills, making that the third time they voted to continue abortion up to birth and infanticide. A big thank you to Dr. and Representative Gregg Schmedes and Representative Candy Ezzell for standing with doctors, women, and children, and voted against tabling the life-affirming bills.

The common-sense HB-600 & HB-608 addressed the concerns most New Mexicans have about late-term abortion, parental involvement in a minor's abortion and conscience protections for medical professionals. 

HB 608 (an abortion-specific conscience protection) co-sponsor, Roswell, NM attorney, and Representative, Cathrynn Brown, "No doctor or medical professional should be coerced into taking a human life, that is what an abortion does. If we do not provide what HB 608 attempts to do, we are going to have a lot of lawsuits and physicians leave the state because doctors do not want to be forced to do what they find morally repugnant."

During testimony for both bills, Rep. Candy Ezell stated, "abortion is NOT health care for the babies."

Rep. Rod Montoya read a current UNM abortion policy that states, in abortions after 22 weeks "the intended abortus may be born with signs of life," but gives no indication of how the infant is cared for. He also read from the policy: "fetal demise can take up to 24 hours." The bill would also reduce the number of women who are injured or die from elective abortion after five months, like Keisha Atkins.

HELP STOP RADICAL ANTI-LIFE BILLS IN THE LEGISLATURE

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Contact Every Member of the Senate and Tell them to Oppose Abortion Up-To-Birth HB-51 and Assisted Suicide Bill SB-153/HB-90

Show up to testify in the Senate Judiciary Committee against the radical HB-51 Read the fact sheet on HB-51 and SB-151. Sign the Petition to stop HB-51. On Saturday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham received 10k signatures allegedly in support of HB 51, we need you to share and sign our petition against HB 51, help us get to 20k by Wednesday. We are already over 17,000 signatures and will be turning them in before the Senate Judiciary hearing on HB 51-- TBD! Call Democrat senators and demand they vote with the majority of New Mexicans (Cite survey)

Senate Judiciary Committee Members' Contact Info Below:
 (Chair) Senator Richard C. Martinez - (D) | District: 5 | Room: 319 | Phone: (505) 986-4487 | richard.martinez@nmlegis.gov
(Vice Chair) Senator Daniel A. Ivey-Soto - (D) | District: 15 | Room 300B | Phone: (505) 986-4270 | daniel.ivey-soto@nmlegis.gov
Senator Gregory A. Baca - (R) | District: 29 | Room: 415I | Phone: (505) 986-4877 | greg.baca@nmlegis.gov
Senator Joseph Cervantes - (D) | District: 31 | Room: 328B | Phone: (505) 986-4861 | Joseph@cervanteslawnm.com Senator Ron Griggs - (R) | District: 34 | Room: 414A | Phone: (505) 986-4369 | ron.griggs@nmlegis.gov
Senator Linda M. Lopez - (D) | District: 11 | Room: 320 | Phone: (505) 986-4737 | linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov
Senator Mark Moores - (R) | District: 21 | Room: 414D | Phone: (505) 986-4856 | mark.moores@nmlegis.gov
Senator Bill B. O'Neill - (D) | District: 13 | Room: 300D | Phone: (505) 986-4260 | oneillsd13@billoneillfornm.com Senator Mimi Stewart - (D) - Majority Whip | District: 17 | Room: 120 | Phone: (505) 986-4726 | mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov
Senator Peter Wirth - (D) - Majority Floor Leader | District: 25 | Room: 119 | Phone: (505) 986-4727 | peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov
Senator William H. Payne - (R) - Minority Whip | District: 20 | Room: 109B | Phone: (505) 986-4702 | william.payne@nmlegis.gov

Thank you for helping us end dangerous late-term abortion and infanticide in New Mexico!