Sen. Crystal Diamond, R represents Luna County SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday signed a bill repealing a long-dormant New Mexico abortion ban, delivering a victory to advocates who had pushed for years to scrap the law that criminalized abortion in most circumstances.
The Democratic governor, who said last year New Mexico’s abortion ban would be “gone” as soon as there were enough votes in the Senate to pass a repeal measure, described the bill’s passage as a triumph over misinformation and fear-mongering.
The Albuquerque Journal is reporting that the bill signed by the governor, Senate Bill 10, passed the Senate via a 25-17 vote on Feb. 11 and then cleared the House on a 40-30 vote about a week later.
It triggered passionate debate among lawmakers over female autonomy, unborn children and legal protections for medical providers.
Sen. Crystal Diamond, R representing Luna County, said the bill’s passage was a win for abortion providers – not for women.
Diamond said, “With the stroke of her pen, the governor has weakened standards of care for women, stripped conscience protections for medical professionals and given the abortion industry unchecked power to operate under the radar in our state.”
But supporters pushed back against the claim, pointing out other medical conscience protections in state and federal law will remain in place. In addition, advocates that lobbied for the abortion ban to be removed from the state’s books over the last four years described the targeted statute as a remnant of a more sexist era.
“Repealing antiquated laws to reflect the time and space we live in now was long overdue,” said Nicole Martin, a co-founder of Indigenous Women Rising, a progressive group that worked with other groups to rally support for the repeal legislation.
The Democratic governor, who said last year New Mexico’s abortion ban would be “gone” as soon as there were enough votes in the Senate to pass a repeal measure, described the bill’s passage as a triumph over misinformation and fear-mongering.
The Albuquerque Journal is reporting that the bill signed by the governor, Senate Bill 10, passed the Senate via a 25-17 vote on Feb. 11 and then cleared the House on a 40-30 vote about a week later.
It triggered passionate debate among lawmakers over female autonomy, unborn children and legal protections for medical providers.
Sen. Crystal Diamond, R representing Luna County, said the bill’s passage was a win for abortion providers – not for women.
Diamond said, “With the stroke of her pen, the governor has weakened standards of care for women, stripped conscience protections for medical professionals and given the abortion industry unchecked power to operate under the radar in our state.”
But supporters pushed back against the claim, pointing out other medical conscience protections in state and federal law will remain in place. In addition, advocates that lobbied for the abortion ban to be removed from the state’s books over the last four years described the targeted statute as a remnant of a more sexist era.
“Repealing antiquated laws to reflect the time and space we live in now was long overdue,” said Nicole Martin, a co-founder of Indigenous Women Rising, a progressive group that worked with other groups to rally support for the repeal legislation.
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