Groundbreaking NM Pro-Life Bill Introduced, Bi- Partisan Support Expected

HB 275 A Result of New Mexico Alliance for Life Investigation Into UNM Health Sciences Center Policy for Babies Born Alive After Abortion Procedure

HB 275 will have first committee hearing on 
Thursday, February 4 in House Health Committee at 8:30 a.m. in Room 309, NM State Legislature

New Mexico Alliance for Life has worked with state leaders to introduce this ground breaking legislation and thanks Gov. Susana Martinez for messaging HB 275 "Require Medical Care for All Infants" and thanks to the bill sponsors Rep. Rod Montoya (R- Farmington)  and Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-Alamogordo). This bill will ensure infants who survive abortion attempts on their lives receive proper medical attention and are not left to die, or intentionally killed. The NMAFL-draft legislation provides oversight to ensure the federal Infant Born Alive Protection Act is adhered to but also ensures infants who survive abortions in New Mexico are provided proper medical care.  It is well documented that during abortion procedures, in particular late-term abortions infants are born alive and may survive--which spurred the passage of the Federal Infant Born Alive Protection Act in 2002, that grants these babies all the rights of a U.S. citizen under the law.

UNM's late-term abortion clinic director, Eve Espey outlines protocols for infants born alive during abortion procedures.

As a part of New Mexico Alliance for Life's ongoing investigative research, we have uncovered an infants born alive policy at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.  HB 275 is the direct result of our findings and recommendations in working with the Governor's office and other state leaders to address this alarming issue, which currently has gone unchecked.  

NMAFL has uncovered the University of New Mexico's OB-GYN Dept. Director and UNM late- term abortion clinic director, Eve Espey outlines how infants show signs of life after late-term abortions but does not indicate how they are cared for.  What is truly alarming is the policy uncovered by NMAFL does not indicate how these babies are being cared for inside the abortion clinic or UNM Hospital--alive, crying, frightened and fighting for their lives. "The question is not a matter of "if" this is happening but when it does, what provisions are being provided to these babies born alive in abortion clinics across New Mexico?" said Elisa Martinez, executive director of NMAFL.   As exposed by NMAFL, Espey also set up the invalid contract with late-term abortionist Curtis Boyd which resulted in the disbanding of UNM resident training at his clinic.  

This bill will provide the necessary oversight to prevent another Kermit Gosnell, late-term abortionist convicted of three counts of murder who delivered babies who were still moving, whimpering or breathing, that he and his assistants "snipped" the newborns' spines with scissors.  Or late-term abortionist Douglas Karpen, whose former assistants accused him of killing "three to four born-alive babies a day by cutting their spinal cord, forcing instruments into the soft spots of their heads or even twisting their heads of their necks."

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UNMHSC abortion born-alive protocols, There is no indication in this policy as to what basic life-saving attempts or other provisions made for the baby showing signs of life inside the UNM Hospital abortion clinic or other abortion clinics.

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Rep. Rod Montoya sponsor of HB 275 "Medical Care for All Infants" to protect survivors of late-term abortions

"This legislation supplements the federal Infant Born Alive Protection Act and ensures these babies receive the same proper care as any newborn. Due to the lack of any current regulation of the abortion industry in New Mexico there is no indication whether or not the existing law is being enforced since there is no accountability.  How can we expect any industry, like the abortion industry, to self-report against their own perceived self-interest?"

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Elisa Martinez, executive director, NM Alliance for Life

"There is no reason for anyone to not support HB 275, a long overdue, common-sense protection for infants. The same late-term abortion procedures that can result in live births, employed by convicted late-term abortionist Gosnell, and Karpen are used by abortionists in New Mexico, including UNM's Dr. Eve Espey and Curtis Boyd. Yet we have no way of knowing what care is given to these babies born alive, but we suspect not many leave New Mexico abortion clinics alive."
--Elisa Martinez, NMAFL executive director. 

CDC Statistics On Babies Born Alive After Failed Abortions 

In 2011, the CDC recorded 1,298 cases of infant death in the U.S. due to "Other perinatal conditions," which includes ICD-10 category P96.4, death subsequent to a failed "termination of pregnancy." Numbers have not been released for the particular category.  Currently there is no "reliable voluntary reporting of live birth" after abortion. Dr. Willard Cates, an expert on medical statistics who is chief of abortion surveillance for the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, estimates that 400 to 500 abortion live births occur every year in the United States. Dr. Cates added, "No one is so naive as to think there is reliable voluntary reporting of live births in the present climate." In other words, the number of babies born alive after abortions is actually much higher.

PRO-LIFE PRESS CONFERENCE & LOBBY DAY!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6th

8:30 AM - 10:30 AM   
HB 275 hearing before the House Health Committee, room 309 .  Please be there by 8:00 am for seating. 

10:30 AM - 12 noon   
Lobby Sen. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez Room 119 and your NM State Senator (find here) in support of both HB 275 and the Late-Term Abortion Ban- tell them you expect them to vote for the ban in committee and on the Senate floor.  More information to follow

12 noon    
Press Conference with NM State Legislators, New Mexico Alliance for Life and UNM Students for Life and more

About HB 275

HB 275 provides oversight measures and a special task force that will report to the legislature and Governor every year to monitor abortion clinics to ensure they are providing care to children that are born alive after a failed abortion attempt.  This includes medical care and nourishment for the victims who show signs of life after an abortion attempt and where their death is not imminent.