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| New Mexico Gov Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) |
New Mexico HB 7 prohibits school boards, city councils, and other local governments from limiting "access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care" including abortion.
The American Center for Law and Justice expressed concerns that the new law (along with SB 13, which awaits the governor's signature at the time of writing) could collectively legalize infanticide.
“HB 7 and SB 13 do contain the term ‘perinatal’ as one of the elements of reproductive health care with which the government [or agent of] cannot interfere, deny or restrict,” ACLJ attorney Olivia Summers said.
Perinatal care includes care provided in the late stages of pregnancy and care provided to a child in the days and weeks after birth.
“By including the section that prohibits prosecution or punishment for not seeking perinatal care, the bill appears to be a cleverly crafted way to specifically protect against a failure to seek perinatal care for a baby born alive following a botched abortion.”
Elisa Martinez, executive director for the New Mexico Alliance for Life, took issue with language in HB 7 that would penalize public employees for interfering with another person's access to abortion. Institutions found to violate the law could face fines of up to $5,000.
“Ideologically driven legislation like this has the exact opposite effect to what the sponsors proclaim, as it is a mandate on behavior to refer or participate in abortions and transgender procedures for every public employee,” Martinez said.